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The 

Ethics  of  the  Fathers 


By 

Dr.  ALEXANDER  KOHUT 

Edited  and  Re'vised  by 
Dr.  BARNETT  a.  ELZAS,  M.D.,  LL.D. 

With  a  Memoir  and  Appreciations  by  Various  Writers 


PrnVATET^Y  PRThfT^I) 


,    ?  ")    »  J '   ^  '  >" 


NEW  YORK 

1920 


'J 


or' 

A 


■9 


BY 


PUBLISHERS  PRINTING  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK 


TO 

REBEKAH  KOHUT 


Die  reinen  Frauen  stehn  im  Leben 
Wie  Rosen  in  dem  dunklen  Laub, 
Auf  ihren  Wiinschen,  ihrem  Streben 
Liegt  noch  der  feinste  BlUthenstaub. 
In  ihrer  Welt  ist  keine  Fehle, 
1st  alles  ruhig,  voll  und  weich, 
Der  Blick  in  eine  Frauenseele 
Ist  wie  ein  Blick  in's  Himmelreich.  .  .  . 

— Julius  Rodenberg 

"Many  daughters  have  done  valiantly, 
but  thou  excellest  them  all." 

— Prov.  xxxiy  29, 


426286 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Editor's  Preface vii 

Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut     .    .         ix 

Alexander  Kohut's  Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship  liii 

An  Estimate  of  Dr.  Alexander  Kohut's  Place  in  the 

History  of  American  Judaism Ixxix 

Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut xcvii 

chapter 

I.    The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 1 

n.    The  Fence  Around  the  Law 10 

ni.    The  Foundations  of  Judaism 19 

IV.    The  Highest  Service SI 

V.    The  Learned  and  the  Poor 39 

VI.    The  Teacher  and  the  Friend 46 

VII.    The  Wicked  Neighbor 63 

VIII.    Be  Guarded  in  Teaching 61 

IX.    Expiate  the  Sins  of  Youth 69 

X.    The  Priestly  People 77 

XI.    Hillel's  Golden  Words       85 

XII.     Be  Persistent  in  Study        94 

XIII.  Doubt  and  Superstition       101 

XIV.  Speech  and  Silence 108 

XV.    Truth,  Justice  and  Peace 116 

Notes 125 

V 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

The  Discourses  in  this  volume  were  originally 
preached  in  German  and  created  a  furore  at  the 
time  of  their  delivery.  They  were  the  author's 
first  efforts  in  the  American  Jewish  pulpit,  which 
he  so  conspicuously  adorned.  Heard  by  very 
large  audiences,  they  were  eagerly  read  and 
discussed  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land  when  they  appeared,  week  by  week,  in 
the  columns  of  The  American  Hebrew,  in  hastily- 
prepared  translation  by  his  friend  Max  Cohen, 
the  Librarian  of  the  then  Maimonides  Free 
Library.  They  were  afterwards  published  in 
book  form. 

Though  the  utterances   of   a   stranger,  barely 

familiar   with  his   new   surroundings,   his   words 

have  still  a  living  message  to  American  Jewry. 

This  is  the  only  reason  for  reprinting  this  little 

volume,  that  has  been  out  of  print  for  twenty 

years.     It    has    been    practically    rewritten    by 

the  Editor,  who  has  endeavored  to  be  as  true  as 

vii 


viii  Editor  s  Preface 

possible  to  the  spirit  of  the  original.  He  has 
taken  the  opportunity  of  correcting  a  number  of 
typographical  errors  in  the  Talmudic  quota- 
tions and  the  references  to  the  same  and  has 
added  numerous  references  omitted  in  the  original. 
He  has  also  supplied  the  Biblical  references,  for 
the  sake  of  completeness. 

That  the  spirited  words  of  this  gifted  preacher, 
"Wielder  of  the  Mighty  Hammer"  for  Israel's 
faith,  may  continue  to  speak  to  us,  is  the  earnest 
prayer  of 

The  Editor. 


MEMOIR  OF  ALEXANDER  KOHUT 

By  Barnett  A.  Elzas 

LEXANDER  KOHUT,  Rabbi,  scholar, 
author,  preacher  and  educator,  was  born 
in  Felegyhaza,  Hungary,  on  April  22, 
1842.  He  was  a  child  of  poverty,  one  of 
thirteen  children.  As  a  boy,  we  are  told, 
he  was  strikingly  beautiful,  tall,  of  slender  build, 
with  big,  expressive  eyes,  a  gentle  voice,  of  a 
singularly  happy  disposition  and  of  magnetic 
personality.  His  father,  Jacob,  a  man  of  vigorous 
constitution,  who  at  the  age  of  seventy  walked  from 
Kecskemet  to  Vienna  to  speak  to  the  King  and 
Kaiser  whom  he  has  served  for  many  years,  was  a 
scholar  of  no  mean  attainments  who  spoke  several 
languages  fluently.  His  mother,  Cecelia,  was  a 
pious  and  God-fearing  woman,  who  did  much  to 
mould  the  character  of  her  son.  Like  so  many  of 
the  Jews  in  the  village  where  he  lived,  the  father 

*  The  writer  is  indebted  for  the  main  facts  of  this  sketch,  to  a 
biography  of  Alexander  Kohut  by  Moses  Reines,  in  his  Httle  volume. 
Dor  Vachachamav,  Cracow,  1890.  This  is  largely  autobiographical. 
Also  to  the  In  Memoriam  pamphlet  Alexander  Kohut,  ein  Charader- 
bild,  von  Dr.  Adolph  Kohut. 

ix 


X  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

was  able  to  eke  out  only  the  barest  existence 
by  petty  trading  in  the  surrounding  country, 
returning  home  week  by  week,  in  time  for  the 
Sabbath.  This  enforced  absence  from  home 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  supervise  the  edu- 
cation of  his  son.  There  were  only  a  few  Jews 
in  Felegyhaza  and  this  village  did  not  even 
possess  an  elementary  school.  Hence  it  hap- 
pened that  young  Alexander  reached  the  age  of 
eight  without  even  the  rudiments  of  elementary 
learning. 

Life  in  a  Hungarian  ghetto  was  no  pleasant 
dream  for  the  Jew  in  those  days.  Hep,  hep,  was  a 
common  cry.  The  year  1848  with  its  terrible 
storm  and  stress  added  greatly  to  his  father's 
troubles,  compelling  him  to  move  from  place  to 
place.  In  spite  of  these  untoward  conditions, 
the  boy  manifested  marked  intelligence  and  a 
strong  desire  for  knowledge. 

"The  twig  doth  oft  proclaim  the  tree,"  said  the 
ancient  Rabbis.  As  a  boy,  he  already  gave  inti- 
mations of  his  future  love  of  Jewish  learning. 
While  still  a  child,  he  constantly  carried  a  Hebrew 
Bible  with  him,  mumbling  meaningless  words, 
as  he  pretended  to  read  the  book  of  which  he  did 
not  understand  a  single  word.  Observing  this, 
his  pious  parents  determined  that  their  child  should 
have  an  education  at  all  costs. 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xi 

Taking  counsel  with  Eleazar  Hoffman,  the 
brother  of  Alexander's  mother,  his  parents  re- 
moved to  the  market  town,  Kecskemet.  Here 
the  boy  was  placed  under  the  care  of  Rabbi 
Fischman  and  of  Prof.  Heinrich  Deutsch,  a  friend 
of  his  father,  principal  of  the  Grammar  School 
of  that  place,  who  was  afterwards  connected  with 
the  rabbinical  Seminary  in  Buda  Pesth.  He 
studied  hard  and  unceasingly,  scarcely  knowing 
the  meaning  of  childhood.  His  progress  was 
marked  and  rapid.  Before  his  thirteenth  year, 
he  had  not  only  completed  the  four  classes  of  the 
Grammar  School,  but  had  acquired  a  good  knowl- 
edge of  the  Bible,  which  he  almost  knew  by 
heart.  Under  Deutsch's  supervision,  he  studied 
also  all  that  was  necessary  for  the  first  two  classes 
of  the  Gymnasium,  so  that  he  was  able  to  enter 
the  third  class  of  the  Gymnasium  from  the 
Grammar  School.  While  at  the  Gymnasium,  he 
received  some  financial  help  from  his  uncle,  and 
continued  his  studies  with  Rabbi  Fischman  and 
Prof.  Deutsch.  He  also  received  instruction  in  the 
Talmud  from  an  old  scholar.  Rabbi  Gershon 
Lovinger.  These  teachers  of  his  youth  he  held  in 
reverence  to  his  dying  day. 

His  father  stimulated  his  love  of  learning  by 
telling  him  stories  of  his  forebears,  who  had  become 
great   and   honored   Rabbis   in   Israel.     On   one 


xu 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 


occasion,  he  showed  his  son  a  volume  of  Response, 
entitled  Noda  Biyhudah. 

"This  volume,"  my  son,  "contains  questions 
and  answers  by  great  Rabbis.  All  who  are  men- 
tioned in  this  book  are  now  immortal." 

"Here  you  will  find  a  question  from  my  teacher. 
Rabbi  Israel  Palota,  together  with  the  answer  of 
the  author.  Rabbi  Ezekiel  Landau,  of  Prague. 
Rabbi  Israel  was  my  grand-father  and  I  am  called 
after  him.  Will  you  be  as  great  as  your  grand- 
father some  day?" 

"I  will  try,"  answered  the  boy. 

"Here  is  mentioned  a  great  man.  Rabbi  Amram. 
He  was  my  grand-uncle.  He  was  a  God-fearing 
man,  who  fasted  four  times  a  year  from  Friday 
to  Friday.  His  great  love  for  the  Holy  Land 
drew  him  thither  with  magic  power.  He  left  his 
country  and  went  to  Jerusalem.  He  became 
Rabbi  of  Safed,  where  he  died."  , 

"And  here  is  another  great  man.  Rabbi  Hayim 
Kitssee.  He  was  Rabbi  in  Erza.  He  was  my 
great-grand-uncle.  He  received  a  small  salary 
from  his  congregation,  only  enough  for  bread,  but 
he  managed  to  spare  enough  from  his  meager 
resources  to  buy  much  writing-paper.  He  was  the 
author  of  several  books:  M'kor  Hayim,  Derech 
Hayiniy  Torath  Hayim  and  Mayim  HayimJ* 

By  telling  him  these  stories  of  the  greatness  of 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xiii 

his  kinsfolk,  the  father  fired  the  imagination  and 
awakened  the  ambition  of  his  son.  The  boy 
vowed  that  he,  too,  would  some  day  be  honored 
as  a  great  Rabbi,  and  that  he,  too,  would  write 
many  books.  How  well  he  kept  his  word,  the 
world  knows  to-day. 

Not  long  after  this  conversation  with  his  father 
— young  Kohut  was  then  in  his  thirteenth  year — 
an  event  took  place  which  was  destined  to  play  a 
great  part  in  his  future  career.  He  himself  has 
told  the  story  in  a  charming  and  most  interesting 
bit  of  autobiography.* 

He  was  studying  Talmud  and  Midrash  with 
Prof.  Deutsch.  On  one  occasion,  he  was  in- 
structed to  write  an  essay  based  on  any  subject 
selected  from  the  Talmud.  He  was  told  that  he 
would  meet  many  unfamiliar,  foreign  words,  and 
that  he  would  find  them  fully  explained  in  the 
Aruch,  compiled  by  Moses  Landau. 

The  name  of  Landau  had  always  been  held  by 
him  in  special  reverence.  Had  not  Rabbi  Ezekiel 
Landau  immortalized  the  names  of  his  parents 
and  grandparents  in  his  book.^^  Thus  it  was  that 
this  young  lad  of  thirteen  began  the  study  of  the 
Aruchy  which  he  hardly  understood.  Young  as 
he    was,    however,    he    found    the    volume    very 

*  See  A  Chapter  from  My  Life — The  Origin  of  the.  Aruch  Comple- 
tum,  in  The  American  Hebrew,  Dec.  2,  1892. 


xiv  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

deficient  in  its  references  and  frequently  erroneous 
in  its  etymologies.  Meditating  on  a  diflScult  tal- 
mudical  passage  which  contained  many  foreign 
expressions,  he  tells  us,  he  had  sought  help  from 
Landau's  Aruch — in  vain.  Then  and  there  he 
made  a  solemn  vow,  that  if  God  would  give  him 
wisdom,  he  would  some  day  produce  a  complete 
lexicon,  an  Aruch  Shalem,  in  which  nothing  would 
be  missing.  In  this  accident  of  his  schooldays 
was  laid  the  corner-stone  of  his  monumental 
life-work. 

The  next  few  years  were  very  fruitful  for  the 
young  student.  While  pursuing  his  talmudic 
studies  at  Kecskemet,  he  continued  at  the  same 
time  his  studies  at  the  Gymnasium  to  the  eighth 
class.  He  was  not  popular  with  his  fellow-students. 
He  was  a  strictly  observant  Jew  and  would  not 
write  on  the  Sabbath.  The  students  sneered  at 
him  and  made  matters  uncomfortable  for  him.  At 
the  examination,  which  included  readings  from 
IQopfstock's  MessiaSy  wherever  the  tetragrammaton 
occurred,  young  Kohut  substituted  the  word 
"God."  He  explained  that  it  was  against  Jewish 
religious  principles  to  make  use  of  the  Sacred 
Name.  His  explanation  elicited  the  warmest 
commendation  from  the  examiner. 

Finding  the  Gymnasium  at  Kecskemet  un- 
congenial, he  went  to  Buda  Pesth,  entering  the 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xv 

last  class  of  the  Gymnasium,  after  which  he  would 
be  able  to  enter  the  University.  It  was  a  fortu- 
nate move  for  him.  Here  he  began  the  study  of 
German;  till  now  his  studies  had  been  conducted  in 
Hungarian.  This  was  in  1860,  when  it  was  a 
rare  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  enter  as  a  student 
in  the  Gymnasium.  He  was  the  only  student 
who  was  a  strict  Sabbath  observer.  He  was 
excused  from  writing  on  the  Sabbath.  His 
teacher.  Prof.  Korsan,  hated  him  and  deter- 
mined not  to  allow  him  to  pass  his  examination. 
The  District  Superintendent,  Dr.  Luther,  a  friend 
of  Prof.  Korsan,  who  was  to  award  the  diplomas, 
selected  the  Sabbath  for  the  examination  in 
mathematics,  announcing  the  fact  that  anyone 
who  did  not  write  on  that  day,  would  not  be  al- 
lowed to  graduate.  Dr.  Luther  became  sud- 
denly ill,  however,  and  the  examination  had  to  be 
postponed  till  the  following  day.  Kohut  won  his 
diploma  summa  cum  laude. 

Acting  on  the  advice  of  his  former  teacher.  Prof. 
Deutsch,  who  had  meanwhile  moved  to  Buda  Pesth, 
Kohut  prepared  to  enter  the  Breslau  Theological 
Seminary,  presided  over  by  the  famous  Zacharias 
Frankel.  Here  he  could  obtain  the  necessary 
rabbinical  knowledge  which  would  enable  him 
to  write  his  talmudical  lexicon,  and  at  the  same 
time  acquire  a  knowledge  of  oriental  languages. 


xvi  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

Breslau  in  those  days  possessed  a  brilliant 
galaxy  of  professors.  Here  Frankel  and  Gratz 
and  Bernays  and  Zuckerman  directed  Jewish 
studies.  Schm  Iders  and  Magnus  lectured  on 
Arabic.  Little  wonder  that  Breslau  attracted  the 
brilliant  student.  Young  Kohut  hurried  home 
to  consult  his  father  and  to  receive  his  mother's 
blessing.  His  uncle  promised  him  a  monthly 
stipend  of  ten  florins  as  long  as  he  remained  at 
Breslau,  and  before  the  Holydays  he  once  more 
left  his  parents'  house,  his  financial  resources 
amounting  to  twenty  florins. 

Fasting  and  hungry,  he  came  to  Leipnik  where 
he  spent  the  New  Year.  Here  Rabbi  Bloch 
presided  over  the  spiritual  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity. Finding  his  way  to  the  Synagogue,  he 
listened  with  delight  to  the  sermon  of  Rabbi 
Bloch  and  after  the  service  he  was  invited,  to- 
gether with  others,  to  the  Rabbi's  house.  The 
following  day,  which  was  the  Fast  of  Gedaliah,  he 
proceeded  on  his  journey  and  arrived  in  Breslau 
weak  and  fatigued.  His  purse  now  contained  ten 
kreutzers.  He  proceeded  at  once  to  the  house  of 
Dr.  Frankel  who  listened  to  what  he  had  to  say 
and  promised  him  assistance.  He  gave  him  a  room 
free  in  the  garret  of  the  Seminary  which  he  shared 
with  two  other  students.  Theological  students 
did  not  have  the  easy  time  in  those  days  they 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xvii 

have   now,   when   every   kind   of   inducement   is 
offered  to  attract  them  to  rival  institutions. 

"This  is  the  way  that  is  becoming  for  the  study 
of  the  Torah:  a  morsel  of  bread  with  salt  thou 
must  eat,  and  water  by  measure  thou  must  drink; 
sleep,  if  needs  be,  upon  the  ground  and  live  a  life 
of  trouble  the  while  thou  toilest  in  the  Torah.  If 
thou  doest  this,  happy  shalt  thou  be  and  it  shall 
be  well  with  thee."*  These  words  might  have 
been  written  of  the  student  Kohut.  During  the 
first  four  years  he  spent  in  Breslau  (1861-1865), 
there  were  for  him  literally  more  fasting-days  than 
eating-days.  Hunger  was  his  constant  com- 
panion. His  daily  meal  was  a  half  pint  of  milk 
and  a  roll.  Meat  he  only  ate  on  the  Sabbath.  The 
ten  florins  subvention  from  his  uncle  soon  ceased, 
but  he  received  a  new  stipend  of  two  thalers 
weekly.  At  the  annual  examination  of  the 
Seminary,  a  prize  of  a  hundred  florins  was  awarded 
to  the  most  diligent  student.  Kohut  won  this 
prize  four  times  in  succession.  He  earned  an  extra 
three  thalers  a  month  by  giving  lessons.  Out 
of  this  he  now  paid  his  rent,  his  University  fees, 
and  bought  books.  His  stipend  of  two  thalers 
a  month  he  lost  through  an  unfortunate  occur- 
rence. He  had  gone  to  a  book  auction  and  in- 
vested five  thalers — his  entire  fortune — in  books 

*  Ethics  of  the  Fathers,  Chap.  vi. 


xviii  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

which  he  needed  for  the  purpose  of  study.  His 
purchase  being  observed  by  a  Director  of  the 
Livyas  Chen  Association,  that  gentleman  reported 
that  if  he  were  rich  enough  to  buy  such  expensive 
books,  he  did  not  need  a  stipend,  and  the  stipend 
was  withheld! 

In  his  fifth  year  at  Breslau,  he  devoted  his 
attention  to  talmudic  and  rabbinical  knowledge 
with  a  view  of  becoming  a  preacher.  His  first 
position  was  at  Tarnowitz,  in  Upper  Silesia,  where 
he  preached  on  the  Holydays  and  on  special 
occasions.  He  was  elected  while  still  a  student  at 
the  Seminary.  His  salary  was  a  hundred  thalers. 
Out  of  this  he  supported  himself  for  the  whole 
year  and  even  managed  to  give  some  assistance  to 
his  younger  brother,  Adolph — later  one  of  Ger- 
many's most  prominent  writers — who  had  come  to 
Breslau  to  finish  his  theological  education.  He 
received  his  rabbinical  diploma  in  1867,  after  he 
had  studied  in  the  Seminary  for  five  years  and 
four  months.  He  was  the  first  student  graduated 
from  that  Institution,  under  Frankel's  regime,  in 
less  than  seven  years.  We  are  told  that  one  of 
his  fellow-students  complained  of  this  to  Frankel 
— he  had  been  there  ten  years  and  had  not  yet 
received  the  coveted  diploma,  while  Kohut  had 
received  it  in  five.  "You  are  mistaken,"  said 
Frankel,  "Kohut  has  been  here  more  than  seven 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xix 

years.  You  have  forgotten  the  nights.  Kohut 
turned  his  nights  into  days  for  the  purpose  of 
study  and  he  must  receive  credit  for  these." 

In  1864,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  Kohut  re- 
ceived his  doctor's  diploma  from  the  University 
of  Leipzig.  His  thesis  was  entitled — Jewish 
Angelology  and  Demonology  in  Their  Relation  to 
Parseeism.  The  distinguished  Professor  of  Orien- 
tal Languages  at  the  University,  Heinrich  Leberecht 
Fleischer,  was  so  pleased  with  it  that  he  wrote  to 
the  author  congratulating  him  upon  his  work, 
stating  that  the  Faculty  had  decided  to  excuse 
him  from  his  oral  examination  and  to  nominate 
him  for  the  degree  of  Ph.D.  honoris  causa.  This 
thesis  was  soon  printed  by  the  Zeitschrift  der 
deutschen  morgenldndischen  Gesellschaft  in  their 
Transactions.*  It  elicited  the  warmest  praise 
from  many  well-known  scholars  and  investigators. 

Kohut's  name  was  now  well  established  for 
scholarship.  His  lectures  were  everywhere  well 
received.  He  continued  his  studies  at  Tarnowitz, 
always  with  a  single  aim  in  view — the  completion 
of  his  Aruch.  He  had  to  supplement  his  meagre 
income  by  writing  for  the  Zeitschrift  der  deutschen 
morgenldndischen  Gesellschaft  and  for  scientific 
papers  in  the  Hungarian  language.     His  writings 

*  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  thesis  has  just  been  re-issued 
in  a  limited  edition  in  anastatic  reprint  by  the  Society. 


XX  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

in  the  Hungarian  language  attracted  widespread 
attention. 

In  1867,  he  was  invited  to  preach  and  elected 
Rabbi  of  the  congregation  at  Stuhlweissenburg,  in 
Hungary.  It  was  the  love  of  fatherland,  a  trait 
that  characterized  him  through  life,  that  induced 
him  to  accept  this  call.  Though  he  had  not 
spoken  the  Hungarian  language  for  six  years,  his 
sermons  made  a  profound  impression.  His  great 
knowledge  and  fine  appreciation  of  the  Hungarian 
classics  established  his  name  throughout  Hungary. 
He  was  appointed  School  Director  of  the  District 
by  the  Cultusminister  Eotvos.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  Eotvos  called  a  Convention  of  the 
Jews  of  Hungary  for  the  purpose  of  discussing 
their  affairs.  Kohut  was  appointed  Secretary  of 
the  Convention.  He  continued  to  write  for  various 
papers  and  published  his  volume  A  Critical  Sur- 
vey  of  the  Persian  Translation  of  the  Pentateuch, 
by  Jacob  ben  Joseph  Tawus.  With  all  his  duties, 
he  continued  to  work  steadily  at  his  Aruch.  He 
was  now  ready  for  his  great  life's  task. 

In  Search  of  a  Publisher 

Kohut  was  now  twenty-six  years  of  age,  a  man 
little  experienced  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  He 
had  planned  his  great  masterpiece,  which  was  to 
appear  in  sixteen  large  volumes,  but  where  was  the 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xxi 

money  to  come  from  with  which  to  publish  it? 
To  print  the  work  as  planned  would  require 
30,000  florins.  A  rich  Jew,  Baron  von  Popper,  had 
undertaken  to  defray  the  cost  of  publication  to  the 
letter  n,  but  failed  to  keep  his  promise.  Here 
was  a  serious  obstacle  at  the  outset,  but  Kohut 
was  not  deterred.  He  submitted  parts  of  his 
work  to  famous  scholars  of  the  day,  to  Frankel  in 
Breslau,  to  Zunz  and  Geiger  in  Berlin  and  to 
Buber  in  Lemberg.  All  of  these  scholars  looked 
upon  his  undertaking  with  favor  and  encouraged 
him  to  continue. 

An  important  event  in  his  life  took  place  at 
this  time,  his  marriage  to  Julia  Weissbrunn.  She 
was  a  lovable  woman,  to  whom  no  sacrifice  was 
too  great.  It  was  she  who  was  his  comfort  and 
mainstay  during  the  many  years  of  care  and 
anxiety  that  were  to  follow. 

To  finish  his  work  more  quickly,  Kohut  de- 
cided to  write  his  book  in  Hebrew.  It  would 
occupy  only  half  the  space  that  it  would  if  written 
in  German — eight  volumes  instead  of  sixteen. 
With  remarkable  perseverance  he  rewrote  his 
work  from  the  very  beginning  in  Hebrew — the 
text  in  Hebrew  and  the  translation  in  German. 
Again  he  submitted  specimens  for  examination  to 
the  scholars,  who  differed  in  their  opinions.  Prof. 
Joseph  Derenbourg  advised  him  to  publish  only 


XXll 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 


the  Vocabulary,  without  any  Appendix,  but 
Buber,  his  intimate  friend,  advised  him  to  print 
the  whole  work  in  Hebrew.  Buber's  opinion  pre- 
vailed. So  the  work  had  to  be  rewritten  once 
more — surely  a  gigantic  task,  demanding  heroic 
energy  and  courage. 

The  death  of  his  father-in-law  and  of  a  son  in 
infancy  were  a  severe  blow  to  him,  but  his  energy 
continued  unabated.  Never  for  a  single  moment 
did  he  lose  sight  of  the  goal.  The  first  volume  of 
his  magnum  opus  was  ready  for  the  press  in  1878. 
Kohut  was  author,  proofreader,  correspondent 
and  bookseller.  In  order  to  publish  his  first 
volume,  he  had  sold  all  of  value  that  he  pos- 
sessed. The  Royal  Academy  of  Vienna  recognised 
the  value  of  his  work  for  Science  and  assisted  him 
with  a  subvention  of  400  florins.  But  his  sub- 
scribers were  few  and  altogether  insufficient  to 
defray  the  cost.  A  friend  advised  him  to  dedicate 
the  second  volume  to  Baron  de  Hirsch,  who  was  a 
generous  contributor  to  educational  enterprises 
and  who  would  doubtless  be  glad  to  do  something 
for  Jewish  Science.  He  consulted  friends  in 
Paris,  but  they  gave  him  little  encouragement. 
They  discouraged  him,  in  fact,  advising  him 
against  coming  to  Paris.  Before  their  letters 
reached  him,  however,  he  was  already  on  the  road. 
They  were  sent  to  him  in  Brussels.     He  changed 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xxiii 

his  plans,  and  on  the  advice  of  Dr.  Neubauer,  of 
Oxford,  went  to  London.  Dr.  Nathan  Adier, 
the  Chief  Rabbi,  received  him  in  friendly  fashion 
and  gave  him  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Sir  Moses 
Montefiore,  to  whom  he  decided  to  dedicate  his 
second  volume.  Dr.  Neubauer,  who  had  come 
especially  from  Oxford  to  meet  him,  accompanied 
him  to  the  train  which  was  to  carry  him  to  Rams- 
gate,  where  Sir  Moses  lived  in  princely  style. 
He  made  him  a  present  of  four  shillings,  enough  to 
pay  his  fare  to  Ramsgate. 

It  was  Christmas  eve  and  the  cars  were 
crowded  with  travellers,  returning  to  spend  the 
day  with  their  families.  The  journey  seemed  end- 
less. He  had  not  eaten  that  day,  thinking  that 
the  trip  was  a  short  one  and  that  he  would  surely 
be  invited  to  dine  with  Sir  Moses.  The  snow  was 
falling  when  he  arrived.  Dr.  Adler  had  instructed 
him  to  leave  the  train  at  Broadstairs  and  to  pre- 
sent his  letter  of  introduction  to  Dr.  Loewe,  the 
Secretary  to  Sir  Moses,  who  would  doubtless 
accompany  him  to  Ramsgate  and  act  as  his 
interpreter.  The  train  arrived  at  Broadstairs  at 
2  P.M.  He  at  once  went  to  Dr.  Loewe's  house. 
Unfortunately  for  him.  Dr.  Loewe  had  just  been 
operated  on  and  could  not  be  seen.  He  was 
directed  to  the  residence  of  Sir  Moses  which  was 
not  far  away. 


xxiv  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

Discouraged,  cold  and  hungry,  he  arrived  at 
last,  only  again  to  be  disappointed.  Presenting 
his  letter  of  introduction,  he  was  denied  admission 
and  told  to  come  again  in  a  few  days.  With  a 
heart  full  of  anguish  and  almost  in  despair,  he 
departed.  The  place  which  he  had  pictured  as  a 
door  of  hope  was  turned  for  him  into  a  vale  of 
sorrow. 

His  return  trip  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  Making 
his  way  to  the  railway  station,  he  had  to  wait 
several  hours  for  the  train.  Mistaking  the 
whistle  of  an  engine  going  in  the  opposite  direction 
for  his  own  train — it  was  now  dark — he  fell  down 
a  steep  embankment  and  came  near  being  crushed 
to  death  under  the  wheels  of  the  train.  He 
fortunately  escaped  with  a  few  bruises.  He 
arrived  in  London  after  midnight.  In  the  morning 
he  went  to  see  Dr.  Adler  and  recited  the  story  of 
his  adventures  on  the  previous  day.  Dr.  Adler 
was  profoundly  touched  and  asked  his  secretary  to 
accompany  him  to  Dr.  Asher,  the  almoner  of  the 
Rothschilds.  The  latter  gave  him  £20  for  five 
copies  of  the  Aruch.  Dr.  Adler  secured  him  a  few 
subscribers,  but  the  main  object  of  his  visit  to 
London  was  not  achieved. 

Against  the  advice  of  his  friends,  Kohut  now 
went  to  Paris.  Chief  Rabbi  Isidore  and  Rabbi 
Zadoc  Kahn  were  most  friendly  disposed.     But 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xxv 

everywhere  he  went  it  was  the  same  story — "We 
are  not  interested  in  Jewish  Science."  His 
appeal  to  the  wealthy  had  been  in  vain  and  he 
sought  no  further  for  a  patron  to  whom  to  dedicate 
his  second  volume.  When  published,  he  inscribed 
it  to  Dr.  Grsetz  and  Dr.  Zuckerman  on  their 
fiftieth  anniversary.  But  there  was  soon  to  be 
a  turn  in  his  fortune.  The  next  chapter  of  his 
life  was  to  be  written  in  America,  which  was  to 
see  the  completion  of  his  great  work  and  of  his 
life's  task. 

In  America 

"  Congregation  Ahawath  Chesed,  of  New  York, 
had  lost  its  well-beloved  and  brilliant  Rabbi, 
Dr.  Adolph  Huebsch,  in  1884,  and  for  many  months 
had  sought  a  successor  to  its  pulpit.  It  was  most 
fortunate  in  its  choice.  A  call  was  extended  to 
Kohut,  now  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  pro- 
foundest  talmudic  and  oriental  scholars  in  Europe. 
He  was  at  that  time  Rabbi  at  Grosswardein,  in 
Hungary.  He  had  previously  served  with  eminent 
success,  congregations  at  Stuhlweissenburg  and 
Funfkirchen.  In  each  of  these  latter  cities  he 
remained  for  eight  years.  His  fame  as  an  orator 
was  widespread  and  prior  to  his  call  to  New  York, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Hungarian  Parliament  as 
representative  of  the  Jews.     He  never  took  his 


xxvi  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

seat,  however,  owing  to  the  fact  of  his  leaving  for 
America.  His  character  and  reputation  are  ad- 
mirably portrayed  in  the  following  Extract  from 
the  Testimonial  presented  to  him  by  his  Con- 
gregation on  leaving  Grosswardein. 

Dear  Pastor: — 

"Your  letter  read  to-day  at  the  Meeting  of 
the  Representatives  of  our  community,  wherein 
you  ask  to  be  released  from  your  office  as  Rabbi 
and  express  your  resolution  to  leave  our  beloved 
fatherland,  has  filled  us  with  the  deepest  grief, 
as  we  see  destroyed  the  lofty  expectations  we 
linked  with  your  activity. 

"The  pulpit  of  our  temple  becomes  orphaned 
and  our  children  lament  their  teacher,  whom 
they  loved  to  adoration.  We  lose  our  greatly- 
admired  pastor,  the  effective  promoter  of  our 
idealistic  efforts  and  our  fatherly  friend.  Our 
native  country  and  its  Judaism  lose  the  vic- 
torious defender  of  threatened  human  rights 
and  liberties.  Our  congregation  weeps  for  their 
pride  and  Hungarian  Judaism  for  its  greatest 
pulpit  orator  and  its  most  prominent  scholar. 

"We  should  despair  at  the  great  loss  we  are 
about  to  sustain,  were  it  not  that  by  your 
teaching  we  have  learned  that  man,  afflicted  by 
manifold  misfortunes,  should  still  submit  to  the 
will  of  God;  if  we  were  not  convinced  that  our 
loss  will  be  the  gain  of  our  coreligionists  in  the 
New  World,  and  if  we  were  not  assured  that  in 
the  land  of  liberty  you  will  have  opened  to  you 
a  vast  field  of  activity,  worthy  of  the  gigantic 
power  you  possess  for  the  cultivation  of  Jewish 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut         xxvii 

Science,  and  for  the  triumph  of  humanitarian 
ideas.     With  feehngs  of  great  sorrow  we  accept 

your  resolution  to  leave  us  and  our  country 

"A  painful  farewell  to  our  greatly-beloved 
and  honored  pastor,  and  happiness  to  the 
messenger  of  God  to  American  Judaism.'* 


Kohut  arrived  in  New  York  on  May  3,  1885. 
The  joy  of  his  new  Congregation  was  unbounded. 
His  arrival  was  everywhere  acclaimed  with  the 
utmost  enthusiasm.  A  new  light  had  come  to 
American  Israel. 

Judaism  in  America  was  in  parlous  estate.  The 
scientific  spirit  of  the  day  was  manifest  in  all  the 
affairs  of  life.  The  writings  of  Lyell,  Buchner, 
Moleschott,  Charles  Darwin,  Tyndall  and  Spencer, 
which  had  played  havoc  with  the  Church,  was 
playing  no  less  havoc  with  the  Synagogue.  In- 
difference to  all  things  Jewish  prevailed  every- 
where. Ethical  Culture,  Christian  Science,  Spirit- 
ualism and  the  various  occult  movements  were 
winning  an  ever-increasing  number  of  adherents 
from  within  the  ranks  of  Judaism.  In  some 
Reform  pulpits,  the  cherished  traditions  of  Israel 
were  openly  flouted  and  a  dangerous  Universalism 
was  being  preached.  The  Abrahamic  Covenant 
was  denounced  as  a  relic  of  barbarism,  a  Sunday 
Sabbath  advocated  and  the  dietary  laws  declared 
to  be  only  antiquated  superstitions.     The  latest 


xxviii        Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

utterance  of  the  last-printed  scientific  book  was  the 
religious  pabulum  of  many  Reform  congregations. 
A  good  vocabulary,  combined  with  elocutionary 
graces  and  the  ability  to  speak  without  a  foreign 
accent,  were  the  main  assets  of  the  younger  Jewish 
Reform  preachers.  The  older  Reform  preachers, 
of  European  birth  and  training,  and  European 
traditions  of  learning,  were  fast  losing  their  in- 
fluence,^ Dr.  Wise,  the  head  of  the  Hebrew  Union 
College  at  Cincinnati,  the  training  school  for 
Reform  preachers,  was  charged  in  the  Eastern 
Jewish  press  with  teaching  un-Jewish  doctrine 
in  that  Institution,  and  one  of  the  leading  lights 
of  Reform,  one  of  its  most  eloquent  preachers, 
about  this  time,  actually  sought  admission  into 
the  Unitarian  Church. 

Such  were  the  conditions  when  Kohut  arrived. 
The  Orthodox  pulpit  had  not  produced  a  single 
man  strong  enough  to  call  an  effective  halt  and 
to  stem  the  tide.  True,  there  were  able  men  in  the 
Orthodox  pulpit — Jastrow,  Szold,  Morais,  Bettel- 
heim,  Mendes  and  others;  but  their  influence  was 
limited  to  their  own  congregations.  With  the 
advent  of  Kohut  the  tide  began  to  turn;  and  to 
him  is  largely  due  the  fact  that  the  tide  did  turn. 
The  reaction  in  recent  years  against  the  vagaries 
of  the  extreme  Reform  that  characterized  the 
early  eighties,  is  in  no  small  measure  to  be  at- 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xxix 

tributed  to  his  published  utterances  and  the  con- 
troversies with  the  advocates  of  Reform  to  which 
they  gave  rise. 

In  his  inaugural  sermon,  a  simple,  appealing 
address — though  it  occupied  two  hours  on  its 
delivery — Kohut  outlined  his  standpoint.  His 
picture  of  religious  conditions  in  Europe,  which  he 
contrasted  with  those  he  found  in  New  York, 
furnishes  a  key  to  that  standpoint.  The  following 
abstract  from  this  sermon  gives  a  good  idea  of 
Kohut  the  man,  and  of  the  spirit  in  which  he 
entered  his  new  field.* 

After  a  feeling  allusion  to  the  memory  of  his 
predecessor.  Dr.  Huebsch,  he  said  in  substance: 

"The  sacrifices  in  vogue  among  the  Hebrews 
and  the  Hellenes  differed  in  this,  that  the 
former  added  thanksgiving  and  prayer.  Since 
you,  my  hearers,  have  made  great  sacrifices,  let 
me  first  fulfil  my  duty  of  thanksgiving. 

"The  Talmud  tells  us  that  four  classes  of 
people  are  in  duty  bound  to  be  thankful:  he 
who  makes  a  sea-voyage  in  safety,  he  who 
makes  a  journey  safely  in  the  wilderness,  he 
who  has  recovered  from  sickness  and  he  who 
has  been  released  from  prison.  I  feel  the 
obligation  of  this  four-fold  thanksgiving. 

"Imagine  yourself  with  me  on  my  recent 
voyage  tossing  on  a  tempestuous  sea,  buffeted 
by  the  waves  that  threatened  every  moment 

*  See  The  Jewish  Messenger,  May  15,  1885. 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

to  bury  their  living  freight  in  a  watery  grave. 
Picture  us  as  we  encountered  shoals  and  ice- 
bergs. Not  only  did  I  escape  these  dangers, 
they  served  me  as  a  lesson  to  my  eldest  son  who 
murmured  in  his  despair:  "Is  it  because  there 
were  no  graves  in  Hungary,  that  thou  hast 
taken  us  away  to  die  in  the  bosom  of  the  sea?" 
I  answered  him:  "This,  my  child,  will  enable 
you  to  comprehend  the  inspired  words  of  the 
Psalmist:  *They  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in 
ships — these  see  the  works  of  the  Lord.'  I  have 
also  traversed  the  wilderness  of  an  anti-Semitic 
land.  I  have  been  sick  at  the  sight  of  European 
intolerance  toward  my  brethren;  and  I  have 
freed  myself  from  the  shackles  of  physical  and 
spiritual  slavery  with  which  the  Jew  in  my  coun- 
try is  fettered.  I  now  give  expression  to  my 
four-fold  thanksgiving.  Our  sacrifices  were 
mutual.  You,  instead  of  selecting  a  leader 
from  your  immediate  surroundings,  honored  me, 
a  stranger  from  a  foreign  country.  I  sacrificed 
the  ties  of  friendship,  fatherland  and  a  seventy- 
seven  year  old  mother.  Your  part  of  the 
sacrifice  I  fully  appreciate.  Instead  of  build- 
ing a  temple,  as  is  so  often  the  case  in  Europe, 
to  be  a  house  of  God  only — without  its  human 
worshippers — you  have  built  a  magnificent 
edifice  to  the  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel,  sancti- 
fying it  by  your  presence,  for  'Ye  stand  this 
day,  all  of  you,  before  the  Lord,  your  God: 
your  elders  and  your  officers,  your  little  ones, 
your  wives  and  the  stranger  that  is  in  your 
camp.' 

"The  country  whence  I  came  differs   from 
America  in  this,  that  in  the  former,  great  sacri- 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xxxi 

fices  are  made  to  preserve  God's  altars,  but  the 
worshippers  are  missing.  Their  hearts  Ikck 
the  impulse  of  Religion.  This  temple,  and 
especially  this  great  congregation,  testify  un- 
mistakably to  the  true  spirit  of  God  among  you. 
Do  not  forget,  however,  that  while  Solomon's 
temple  was  beautiful,  Jeremiah  declared  that 
*you  alone  must  become  the  temple  of  God.' 
God's  spirit  dwells  in  human  hearts,  and  this  I 
have  already  had  manifested  to  me  in  your 
frank,  humble  spirit,  and  this  is,  in  truth,  the 
foundation  of  your  beautiful  temple. 

"I  trust  that  the  union  that  existed  between 
my  lamented  predecessor  and  yourselves  may 
continue  with  me.  I  shall  always  open  my 
heart  to  you  and  shall  always  deal  with  you  in  a 
spirit  of  candor  and  truth.  A  narrow  concep- 
tion and  enforcement  of  truth,  so-called,  has 
led  to  more  disaster  in  the  world  than  war  or 
poison.  Truth,  in  Religion,  is  doing  God's 
will.  I  consider  that  to  be  the  truth  which  is 
taught  by  the  rabbinical  Jewish  doctrine,  but 
usages  which  cannot  be  based  on  the  teaching 
of  the  Talmud,  I  reject.  The  presentation  of 
the  Jewish  faith  to  the  outside  world  must  be 
delicately  done.  I  offer  you  the  old  and  the 
new  in  happy  and  blended  union.  At  times 
you  may  find  that  I  shall  differ  from  you.  I 
ask  you  to  bear  with  me  as  I  shall  bear  with  you. 
Tolerance  is  not  general  in  Europe,  but  is  a 
child  of  free  America.  Rabbis  must  walk  in 
peace  and  truth  and  you  will  always  find  me 
an  apostle  of  peace.  I  trust  that  I  shall  be 
welcomed  as  a  brother  by  my  fellow  Rabbis 
and  join  in  fraternal  union  with  them." 


xxxii         Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

Three  weeks  after  delivering  his  inaugural 
sermon,  Kohut  commenced  a  series  of  sermons  on 
The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers,  in  which  he  elaborated 
his  standpoint.  Speaking  of  the  opening  words  of 
the  Ethics,  he  remarked: 

"The  chain  of  tradition  continued  unbroken 
from  Moses  through  Joshua,  the  Elders,  the 
Prophets  and  the  Men  of  the  Great  Synagogue, 
to  the  latest  times.  Upon  this  tradition  rests 
our  faith,  which  Moses  first  received  from  God 
on  Sinai.  On  this  foundation  rests  Mosaic- 
rabbinical  Judaism  to-day.  On  this  founda- 
tion we  stand.  Whoever  denies  this — denies 
this  on  principle  —  disclaims  his  connection 
with  the  bond  of  community  of  the  house  of 
Israel. 

"Let  it  be  well  observed,  I  say,  denies  this  on 
principle,  because  there  are  many  who  do  not 
observe  this  or  that  ordinance  of  Mosaic- 
rabbinical  Judaism,  who  cannot  or  will  not 
apply  it  to  the  exigencies  of  life,  yet  grant  that 
these  laws  are  applicable  to  the  conditions  of 
modern  existence.  Even  the  most  pious  Jew 
cannot  observe  all  of  the  613  laws  with  their 
infinite  applications  and  amplifications.  .  .  . 
Many  laws,  mandatory  and  prohibitory,  lapse 
by  their  very  nature  or  by  the  decree  of  God, 
under  certain  designated  contingencies  ...  I 
would  comfort  those  whose  hearts  are  grieved 
at  the  thought  that  they  cannot  fulfil  the  whole 
of  the  Law  .  .  .  Not  everyone  should  be  con- 
demned who  cannot  observe  all  the  laws  with 
equal   fidelity — taking   for    granted,    however, 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut        xxxiii 

that  he  acknowledges  the  binding  character  of 
the  Law.  Only  he  who  denies  this,  who  rejects 
on  principle  the  validity  of  the  Mosaic- 
rabbinical  tradition,  thereby  banishes  himself 
from  the  camp  of  Israel,  writes  his  own  epitaph: 
*I  am  no  Jew,  no  adherent  to  the  faith  of  my 
fathers.'  He  denies  that  Moses  received  the 
Torah  on  Sinai  and  handed  it  down  to  Joshua, 
etc.  ...  he  has  ceased  to  be  a  Jew  and  is  a 
Karaite."  * 

We  have  quoted  Kohut  at  length,  because  the 
quotation  gives  a  clear  and  definite  statement  of 
his  standpoint.  This  sermon  was  at  once  seized 
upon  by  Dr.  Kohler,  the  protagonist  of  Reform, 
as  a  peg  on  which  to  hang  a  massive  yet  illuminat- 
ing exposition  of  Reform  Judaism  in  five  Dis- 
courses, which  were  afterwards  reprinted  in 
pamphlet  form.f 

Kohut  replied  in  a  dignified  way.  He  had  not 
invented  the  idea  of  an  Oral  Law  existing  side  by 
side  with  the  Written  Law.  Such  had  been 
accepted  by  the  ages.  He  had  not  challenged 
anyone,  but  was  merely  expounding  his  own  stand- 
point to  his  own  congregation.  "Who  authorizes 
radical  Reform,"  he  asks  effectively,  "to  discard 
Mosaic  Judaism,  to  despise  rabbinical  Judaism 
and  teach  only  a  prophetical  Judaism?     And  who 

*  Kohut  The  Ethics,  pp.  7  et  seq. 

t  Kohler,  Backwards  or  Forwards,  New  York,  1885. 


xxxiv         Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

has  ceded  the  right  to  radical  Reform  to  declare 
that  prophetical  Judaism  has  parted  company 
with  Mosaism?  .  .  .  Let  them  not  bring  forward 
their  prophetical  Judaism,  for  radical  Reform 
would  be  inextricably  entangled  in  a  thousand 
contradictions.  .  .  .  American  Judaism  cannot 
wish  to  be,  nor  can  it  be  an  isolated  Judaism  .  .  . 
Progress  must  know  its  limitations  .  .  .  The 
denial  of  everything  is  no  standpoint." 

Kohut' s  defence,  from  his  standpoint,  was  con- 
clusive, though  his  comparison  of  Reform  to 
Karaism  was  without  adequate  justification.  The 
controversy  was  discussed  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  land.  The  Reformers  were  not 
slow  to  find  the  weak  points  in  Kohut's  position. 
Was  he  not  himself  inconsistent  .^^  The  successor 
of  Huebsch,  he  was  occupying  a  Reform  pulpit. 
His  congregation  certainly  did  not  measure  up  to 
the  standard  which  he  ^had  laid  down.  His 
members  did  not  observe  the  Sabbath,  nor  did  they 
keep  the  dietary  laws.  In  the  temple  the  sexes 
sat  together  and  instrumental  music  was  utilised 
in  the  services.  The  second  days  of  the  Festivals 
had  been  abolished.  Hanukkah  and  Purim  and 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  had  fallen  into  desuetude. 
The  reading  of  the  Law  did  not  follow  traditional 
custom.  The  Prayer  Book  was  by  no  means 
orthodox;   it  contradicted   in  fact   most   of    the 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 


XXXV 


things  for  which  orthodoxy  stood.*     Was  he  not 
a  Reformer  in  fact,  if  not  in  his  preaching? 

Perhaps  Kohut  was  inconsistent.  But  it  must 
be  remembered  that  he  had  been  but  a  few  weeks 
in  America  and  was  unfamiliar  with  conditions 
save  in  a  general  way.  He  was,  indeed,  more 
orthodox  than  his  congregation,  but  he  hoped  to 
win  it  back  to  conservatism.  Soon  after  his 
arrival,  he  reintroduced  the  observance  of  the 
Festivals  of  Hanukkah  and  Purim  and  Sukkoth, 
and  the  reading  of  the  Law  again  followed  tradi- 
tional methods  in  his  temple.  He  was  in  fact  a 
conservative  Reformer,  "offering  the  old  and  the 
new  in  happily-blended  union."  If  he  was  incon- 
sistent, he  was  no  more  so  than  the  ancient 
Rabbis  who,  in  the  exigencies  of  their  time,  did 
not  hesitate  to  abrogate  even  provisions  of  the 
Mosaic  Law  itself.  Like  them,  he  found  justifi- 
cation in  the  Psalmist's  utterance:  "It  is  a  time 
to  act  for  God,  when  men  are  breaking  His  Law." 
To  sum  up  his  position  in  a  word,  he  sought  neither 
"the  way  of  fire"  nor  "the  way  of  snow,"  to  walk 
in  either  of  which,  according  to  the  parable  of  the 
ancients,  meant  death.     He  sought  "the  middle 

*  It  is  claimed  that  Kohut  never  saw  the  Prayer  Book  compiled 
by  his  predecessor  prior  to  his  arrival  in  America.  Inasmuch,  how- 
ever, as  he  continued  to  use  it  without  protest  and  later  even  put 
it  into  English  garb  for  the  use  of  his  congregation,  we  must  assmne 
that  he  regarded  the  form  of  the  Prayer  Book  as  non-essential. 


xxxvi         Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

way,"  to  walk  in  which  meant  life.*  His  was 
the  standpoint  of  his  teacher  Zacharias  Frankel. 
It  was  the  standpoint  later  assumed  by  Schechter, 
the  Moses  Mendelssohn  of  our  time,  which  stand- 
point, however,  is  as  much  an  abomination  to  the 
orthodox  fanaticism  of  our  day  as  was  that  of 
Kohut  to  the  radical  Reform  of  his. 

The  Kohler-Kohut  controversy,  which  began 
purely  as  a  local  matter,  was  destined  to  produce 
far-reaching  results.  Kohut  had  put  Reform  on 
the  defensive.  Reform  had  now  a  foe-man  worthy 
of  its  steel,  whose  ever-increasing  influence  it  was 
felt  necessary  to  combat.  It  was  directly  due 
to  this  controversy  that  the  now  historic  Pitts- 
burgh Conference  was  called  into  being  in  Novem- 
ber, 1885.  This  Conference  cleared  the  atmos- 
phere. Its  "Declaration  of  Independence"  did 
not  find  general  acceptance  among  the  Reformers 
themselves — Jastrow,  Szold,  Gottheil  and  Aaron 
Wise  raised  their  voices  in  mighty  protest  against 
it.  But  the  Conference  had  far-reaching  results, 
for  it  gave  the  impetus  to  the  foundation  of  the 
Jewish  Theological  Seminary  of  America,  which 
was  intended  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the 
Hebrew  Union  College,  which  had  been  established 
at  Cincinnati  in  1875. 

The  moving  spirit  in  the  establishment  of  the 

*  Jerus.    Hagigah,  beginmng  of  Chap.  2. 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut       xxxvii 

Seminary  was  the  late  Sabato  Morais,  of  Phila- 
delphia. Together  with  him,  Kohut  labored 
unceasingly  with  voice  and  pen.  The  Seminary 
was  launched  at  a  meeting  of  Ministers  in  New 
York,  on  January  31st,  1886.  To  this  Institu- 
tion, Kohut  gave  loyal  and  devoted  service  to  his 
dying  day. 

In  the  midst  of  his  many  duties,  his  work  on 
the  Aruch  was  somewhat  interfered  with.  The 
death  of  his  wife,  the  beloved  companion  of  his 
youth,  on  March  6,  1886,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
three,  was  a  sad  blow  to  him.  She  had  been  an 
ideal  wife  to  him  during  the  many  years  of  his 
trials.  To  enable  him  to  devote  himself  entirely 
to  his  ministerial  duties  and  to  his  literary  labors, 
she  had  refrained  from  all  social  amusements 
which  would  withdraw  him  from  his  occupations. 
Nothing  was  too  hard  for  her  to  help  him  complete 
his  life-work.  She  had  brought  up  a  large  family 
— ten  children — eight  of  whom  survived  her.  The 
death  of  Peter  Smolenskin,  too,  who  had  been  his 
friend,  literary  adviser,  and  defender,*  and  who 
had  supervised  the  publication  of  the  first  four 
volumes  of  the  Aruch  in  Vienna,  increased  his 
difficulties.     Smolenskin  it  was  who   had    inter- 

*  See  his  reply  to  I.  H.  Weiss'  criticism  of  Kohut  in  his  Beth  Talmud 
in  the  pamphlet  Mishpai  la  '^ashukim,  reprinted  from  the  Hashachar, 
Vol.  X.  Vienna,  1881. 


xxxviii       Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

ested  many  in  Kohut's  work  and  it  is  no  exagger- 
ation to  say  that  had  it  not  been  for  him,  the 
Aruch  might  never  have  been  pubHshed. 

The  first  volume  had  been  published  in  Vienna, 
in  1878;  the  second  in  1880;  the  third  in  1882 
and  the  fourth  in  1884.  Four  years  passed  be- 
tween the  publication  of  the  fourth  and  fifth 
volumes.  The  fifth  volume  appeared  in  1889; 
the  sixth  in  1890  and  the  seventh  and  eighth, 
as  well  as  the  Supplement,  in  1892.  The  expense 
of  the  fifth  volume  was  defrayed  by  Mr.  Jacob  H. 
Schiff  at  the  instigation  of  Dr.  Gottheil  of  Temple 
Emanuel,  who  promised  that  if  Kohut's  congre- 
gation would  pay  for  the  sixth  volume,  he  would 
interest  his  friends  to  defray  the  cost  of  publica- 
tion of  the  seventh  and  eighth.  Thus  was  his 
life-long  ambition  to  be  realized  at  last.  For 
nearly  twenty-five  years  he  had  labored  at  his 
desk  from  twelve  to  fourteen  hours  a  day  and  the 
consummation  of  his  life's  work  was  in  sight. 

In  his  In  Memoriam  tribute,  Adolph  Kohut  has 
given  us  a  vivid  and  beautiful  picture  of  his 
brother  at  work.  It  is  so  unconventional  and  so 
unique  that  we  reproduce  it  here. 

"Year  in  year  out  could  have  been  seen  a 
youthful  maiden  who,  scarce  observed  by 
the  tireless  worker,  would  noiselessly  enter 
his  room  at  3  a.m.   and  bring  him  food.     He 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut        xxxix 

would  take  it  mechanically,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  disturbed  in  his  work.  It  was 
his  daughter  Valerie 

"The  great  event  of  his  life  took  place  on 
May  14,  1889,  when  at  1  a.m.  he  saw  his 
great  work  completed  in  manuscript.  Suf- 
fering physically,  his  eyes  aglow,  a  look  of 
unexpressible  joy  illumined  his  features. 

"Raising  himself  from  his  chair,  he  offered  up 
a  fervent  prayer.  This  concluded,  "Children, 
come  up,"  he  cried,  and  they  all  came.  They 
had  long  been  expecting  the  call.  At  the 
dinner  table  he  had  requested  them  not  to  go  to 
bed,  for  the  completion  of  his  work  might  at 
any  time  be  announced  to  them.  Taking  the 
hand  of  each  of  his  children  in  turn,  he  wrote 
the  last  words,  guiding  their  hands  and  ad- 
dressing a  few  heartfelt  words  to  each.  His 
daughter  Valerie  wrote  the  last  word — she  who 
had  been  his  good  genius  for  so  many  years. 
"My  dearest  Valerie,"  he  said,  "yours  must  be  a 
special  reward,  for  you  have  done  for  me  more 
than  all  your  brothers  and  sisters.  Yours  shall 
be  the  concluding  word.  The  last  word  was 
Klin^n — titura — "bridge."  "You  were  my 
bridge  between  life  and  death.  Had  you  not 
looked  after  my  physical  wants,  my  light 
might  long  ago  have  been  extinguished."  He 
kissed  his  children  and  wept 

It  was  a  herculean  task  that  he  had  thus  brought 
to  completion.  On  the  slender  foundation  of 
Nathan  b.  Jehiel's  Aruch,  originally  printed  in 
1477,  he  erected  his  monumental  literary  building 
in  eight  volumes,  containing  4000  double-columned 


xl  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

pages,  with  an  Index  and  supplementary  volume. 
His  was  largely  an  independent  work.  It  was 
based  on  seven  manuscripts  of  the  Aruch  which  he 
critically  edited,  with  philological  explanations 
from  cognate  and  other  foreign  languages.  His 
biblical,  talmudic  and  midrashic  quotations  are 
given  with  careful  exactness.  He  gives  exhaustive 
references  to  the  old  sources  from  which  Nathan  b. 
Jehiel  drew,  and  many  of  his  articles  of  general 
cultural  interest  are  almost  monographs  in  their 
completeness.  The  Index,  in  nineteen  chapters,  is 
a  remarkable  specimen  of  scholarly  industry.  And 
he  did  all  this  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  life  as  Rabbi, 
Preacher,  Pastor  and  Educator. 

In  the  latter  years  of  his  life  his  iron  constitu- 
tion had  given  way,  but  his  indomitable  will  con- 
quered all  physical  disabilities.  How  he  shames 
us  of  the  latter  day  with  our  petty  ideals  and 
self -centered  ambitions!  All  honor  to  the  Im- 
perial Academy  of  Science  in  Vienna,  the 
Royal  Hungarian  Academy  of  Science  in  Buda 
Pesth,  the  Royal  Prussian  Cultus-Ministerium 
in  Berlin,  Baron  Rothschild  and  Baron  Konigs- 
warter  in  Vienna,  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  in 
England,  Jacob  H.  Schiff  and  his  other  patrons 
in  New  York  and  especially  the  members  of 
the  Congregation  Ahawath  Chesed  for  the  noble 
part  they  played   in  its  production,  for  without 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xli 

their  assistance  the  work  could  never  have  been 
completed. 

The  most  prominent  Jewish  and  Christian 
scholars  of  the  Old  and  New  World  recognized 
Kohut's  work  as  epoch-making.  Buber,  in  a 
prefatory  letter  which  is  printed  in  the  first 
volume,  speaks  of  the  work  in  the  highest  terms. 
Berliner,  in  his  Lexicography  of  the  Talmud,  pays 
tribute  to  its  excellence.  Delitzsch  declared  that 
it  would  take  a  hundred  years  before  the  full 
value  of  Kohut's  Aruch  would  be  appreciated. 
Prof.  Friedrich  Miiller  pronounced  it  a  Monument 
of  Science.  Brull,  Smolenskin,  Grsetz,  Renan, 
Barth,  Kautsch  and  Ascoli  praised  it  in  superla- 
tive terms. 

His  great  work  finished,  Kohut's  happiness  was 
boundless.  His  great  dream  had  been  realized, 
the  child  of  his  waking  and  sleeping  hours.  His 
family  rejoiced  that  he  had  come  back  to  them, 
for  his  work  had  made  a  recluse  of  him.  The 
hardships  of  his  earlier  days  had  made  vigorous 
inroads  upon  his  constitution  and  signs  of  a  general 
break-down  were  beginning  to  manifest  themselves. 
His  family  urged  him  to  rest.  The  advice  was 
heeded,  but  not  for  long.  Work  had  become 
second  nature  for  him  and  he  could  not  long 
remain  idle.  From  this  time  on,  he  made  numer- 
ous substantial  scientific  contributions  to  learned 


xlii  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

periodicals  and  Transactions.  He  was  a  frequent 
contributor  to  the  Jewish  papers.  He  collected 
material  for  a  History  of  Neo-Hebraic  Literature 
and  for  a  Persian-Talmudic  Glossary.  He  con- 
ducted a  vast  correspondence  with  scholars  in  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Not  that  he  had  been  idle 
while  his  Aruch  was  in  course  of  publication. 
While  in  Europe,  scarcely  a  year  passed  without 
some  notable  volume  or  essay  from  his  pen.  He 
translated  the  Bible  into  Hungarian.  In  1885, 
he  published  his  volume  on  The  Ethics  of  the 
Fathers,  a  second  series  of  which  appeared  in  the 
columns  of  The  American  Hebrew  and  many  of 
his  articles  appeared  in  contemporary  papers,  as 
e.g..  The  Independent* 

As  a  preacher,  he  continued  popular  to  the  end. 
Tall,  well-knit,  of  slender  frame  and  of  graceful, 
easy  carriage,  his  eyes  flashing  a  vivid  commentary 
upon  his  words,  in  manner  reserved,  and  without 
the  elocutionist's  tricks,  an  orator  of  power,  his 
sermons,  always  carefully  prepared,  found  a  mark 
in  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  When  he  came  to 
New  York  in  1885,  he  had  only  a  moderate 
knowledge  of  English,  but  in  a  short  time  he  wrote 
and  spoke  fluently  in  that  language.     He  pos- 

*  For  a  Bibliography  of  the  writings  of  Dr.  Kohut,  see  Tributes 
to  the  Memory  of  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  Kohut,  New  York,  1894.  See 
also  Lippe's  Biographical  Lexicon,  3  vols.      1881-1899. 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xliii 

sessed,  in  addition,  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
many  European  and  oriental  languages. 

As  a  man,  he  was  ideal — "a  man  through  and 
through,'*  as  the  Rabbis  have  it.  His  word  was 
his  bond.  Insincerity  was  utterly  foreign  to  his 
nature  and  the  "Categorical  Imperative"  was  his 
guide  in  life.  In  the  Seminary  which  he  had  been 
largely  instrumental  in  establishing,  he  never  lost 
his  interest.  Stricken  with  his  last  illness,  he 
dragged  himself  to  the  class-room  to  give  instruc- 
tion to  the  students  and  when  he  could  no  longer 
leave  his  bed,  he  taught  the  students  in  his  own 
room.  Even  when  his  eyesight  failed  him,  he 
continued  to  teach  them.  For  these  students  he 
made  many  a  sacrifice  and  many  a  one  who  found 
himself  in  need,  found  the  master  ever  ready  to 
help  him.  Almost  ascetic  in  his  own  wants, 
struggling  Talmudists,  of  whom  there  was  never 
a  scarcity,  could  always  count  upon  his  assistance, 
though  he  generally  received  little  thanks  for  his 
benefactions. 

Apart  from  his  Aruch,  his  family  and  Science, 
nothing  appealed  so  much  to  him  as  his  books. 
He  was  a  great  book-lover  as  well  as  book  collector. 
His  library  was  one  of  the  finest  in  America.  In 
1893,  when  the  doctors  told  him  that  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  submit  to  an  operation,  he 
begged  that  the  operation  might  be  performed 


xliv  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

in  his  study,  in  the  presence  of  his  books,  his  best 
friends.  His  request  could  not  be  complied  with 
and  when  the  doctors  left  him,  he  made  his  way 
on  crutches  to  his  beloved  study  and  wept.  He 
was  a  modest  man,  ever  ready  to  do  justice  to 
others.  In  commending  scholars  to  the  con- 
sideration of  others,  he  was  often  exuberant  in  his 
expression  of  praise  and  many  a  scholar  of  mediocre 
attainment  he  called  a  Talmid  Haham.  He  had 
learned  from  bitter  experience  what  struggle 
meant. 

Specially  noteworthy  were  his  piety  and  rever- 
ence. His  piety  he  manifested  as  son  and  pupil. 
He  regarded  his  parents  with  a  feeling  akin 
to  worship.  He  made  repeated  journeys  from 
America  to  Kecskemet  to  receive  the  blessing  of 
his  old  mother,  who  died  in  September,  1895,  in 
her  eighty-eighth  year,  and  often  locked  himself 
in  his  room  for  hours  at  a  time  and  wept  before 
the  picture  of  his  father,  who  had  died  in  his 
seventy -fifth  year.  He  always  carried  his  father's 
tobacco-box  with  him,  and  some  earth  from 
Jerusalem.  In  1890,  when  he  went  to  Europe, 
he  brought  back  with  him  some  soil  from  his 
father's  grave,  which  he  treasured.  He  honored 
all  great  men  in  Israel  and  held  in  greatest  rever- 
ence his  early  Talmud  teachers.  Rabbi  Fischman 
and  Rabbi  Gershon  Lovinger.     To  Frankel  and 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xlv 

Grsetz  he  was  devotedly  attached.  A  word  of 
praise  from  his  former  teachers  made  him  su- 
premely happy.  He  corresponded  with  his  teach- 
ers of  Orientalia  at  the  Breslau  University, 
Schmolders  and  Magnus,  to  the  day  of  their 
death,  and  often  exchanged  letters  with  the  Sanskrit 
scholar  Benfey,  the  Phoenician  philologist  Levy, 
and  with  the  distinguished  Oriental  scholars, 
Delitzsch,  Haug,  Kxehl,  Steinschneider  and  F. 
Max  Muller. 

The  dedications  of  his  volumes  were  character- 
istic and  noteworthy.  His  second  volume  he 
inscribed  to  Doctors  Grsetz  and  Zuckerman,  his 
third  to  the  memory  of  his  father,  his  fourth  to 
Zunz,  his  fifth  to  Jacob  H.  Schiff,  his  sixth  to 
Congregation  Ahawath  Chesed,  his  seventh  to 
his  father-in-law.  Rabbi  Bettelheim,  and  his 
eighth  to  various  patrons  of  Jewish  Science.  His 
last  work,  entitled  Light  of  Shade  and  Lamp  of 
Wisdom,  he  dedicated  to  his  friend  and  physician, 
Dr.  Isaac  Adler,  of  New  York. 

His  scholarship  and  character  made  him  friends 
throughout  the  world.  To  name  only  a  few  of  the 
innumerable  eminent  men  with  whom  he  stood  in 
intimate  relation,  might  be  mentioned:  Baron 
Joseph  von  Eotvos,  Cultus  Minister  of  Hungary, 
Count  Melchior  von  Lonyay,  the  Hungarian  Min- 
ister of  Finance,  Koloman  von  Tisza,  Cardinal  and 


xlvi  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

Archbishop  Haynald,  the  Bishop  of  Funfkirchen, 
Ferdinand  Dulansky,  Prof.  M.  Lazarus,  Rabbi 
Jellinek,  Professor  Chwolson  and  Ernest  Renan. 

He  was  a  born  expounder  of  the  Word  and 
shepherd  of  his  flock,  his  gentle  nature  ever 
striving  after  peace,  even  with  those  who  opposed 
him.  Above  everything  he  dreaded  polemics,  in 
which  he  rarely  engaged.  His  home  life  was 
ideal.  In  his  family  he  was  a  child  with  his 
children,  in  whose  mirth  and  abandon  he  spent 
many  happy  hours. 

But  his  happiness  was  soon  to  come  to  an  end, 
and  his  life's  work.  The  long-threatened  break- 
down came  at  last.  In  vain  he  sought  to  recover 
his  health  in  Karlsbad  and  submitted  to  opera- 
tion in  New  York.  It  was  too  late.  His  con- 
gregation offered  him  a  protracted  vacation 
and  his  family  and  friends  begged  him  to  spare 
himself,  but  in  spite  of  his  growing  infirmities 
he  continued  to  preach.  He  bore  his  sufferings 
with  fortitude  and  resignation  and  frequently 
discussed  the  question  of  Immortality  with  his 
family.  ^ 

On  March  20,  1894,  New  York  was  startled 
by  the  announcement  of  the  death  of  the  Hun- 
garian patriot,  Louis  Kossuth.  Though  racked 
with  pain,  memories  of  the  old  home  awakened 
in   him   such   patriotic   sentiments   that   he   felt 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xlvii 

that  he  must  go  to  the  Temple  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing. He  had  promised  his  family  not  to  speak. 
The  service  concluded,  however,  he  approached  the 
pulpit,  and  instead  of  the  customary  benediction, 
he  delivered  a  glowing  address  on  Kossuth  and  his 
relation  to  Judaism.  The  last  words  had  scarcely 
left  his  lips,  when  he  fainted  and  had  to  be  carried 
home.  He  lingered  but  a  few  weeks  and  on  May 
25,  1894,  his  life's  work  was  completed. 

Thus  died  this  beloved  Rabbi,  scholar  and 
patriot.  In  his  clasped  hands,  when  he  was 
consigned  to  rest,  lay  the  Index  to  his  Aruch.  He 
was  comparatively  young  when  he  died,  only 
fifty-two.  Though  full  of  trial  and  tribulation, 
his  life  had  not  been  without  its  sweet -satisf actions. 
He  had  seen  his  ambitions  realized  and  felt  that 
he  had  labored  for  eternity. 

The  funeral  was  a  remarkable  demonstration 
of  his  people's  love  and  esteem.  Jewish  ministers 
from  other  cities  joined  their  New  York  colleagues 
in  paying  tribute  to  his  eminent  learning  and 
virtues.  Similar  tributes  came  from  distinguished 
men  throughout  the  world.  These  tributes  were 
collected  by  his  son,  George  Alexander  Kohut, 
and  published  by  Congregation  Ahawath  Chesed.* 

Shortly    after   his    death,    numerous    scientific 

*  Tributes  to  the  Memory  of  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  Kohut.  Published 
by  Congregation  Ahawath  Chesed,  New  York,  1894. 


xlviii         Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut 

works  appeared,  inscribed  to  his  memory,  by  the 
famous  Arabian  traveller.  Dr.  Eduard  Glaser, 
Dr.  L.  Rosenthal,  Dr.  A.  Harkavy,  Dr.  A.  Neu- 
bauer  and  Solomon  Buber.*  A  large  Memorial 
Volume,  t  written  in  many  languages  and  edited 
by  his  son,  was  published  in  1897.  This  volume 
included  learned  monographs  by  the  foremost 
scholars  of  Europe  and  America.  It  is  a  veritable 
Pantheon  of  Jewish  Science,  a  monument  that 
will  outlast  rude  brass  and  polished  stone. 

But  not  by  his  contributions  to  Jewish  Science 
alone,  eminent  though  they  were,  will  Alexander 
Kohut,  scholar  and  teacher  of  scholars,  be  best 
remembered;  nor  by  his  gifts  as  a  Jewish  preacher, 
great  though  they  were;  nor  even  by  the  valiant 
service  he  rendered  by  inspiring  anew  those  who 
sought  to  strengthen  the  conservative  spirit  of 
Judaism  in  America.  "Greater  is  he  who  inspires 
others  to  action,"  say  the  Sages,  "than  he  who 
does  great  things  himself."  Alexander  Kohut 
left  living  memorials  of  himself,  who  have  con- 
tinued the  work  he  left  unfinished. 

He  was  twice  happily  married.  His  second  wife, 
Rebekah,  a  daughter  of  Rabbi  Dr.  A.  S.  Bettel- 
heim,  of  Baltimore,  whom  he  married  on  Febru- 
ary 14,  1887,  is  to-day  one  of  America's  greatest 

*  For  a  list  <5f  these  works,  see  The  Menorah  for  November,  1895. 
t  Semitic  Studies:  in  Memory  of  Alexander  Kohut,  Berlin,  1897. 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  xlix 

Jewish  assets.  Like  her  husband,  she  has  ever 
been  a  tireless  worker  for  all  causes  that  make 
for  Jewish  uplift.  Founder  and  Trustee  of  many 
civic  and  communal  organizations,  she  is  a  member 
of  the  directorate  of  the  leading  religious  and 
philanthropic  institutions  of  New  York.  She  was 
the  first  President  of  the  New  York  section  of  the 
National  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  of  which  she 
is  now  honorary  President,  and  is  still  President 
of  the  Emanuel  Sisterhood,  an  unfailing  stimulus 
to  noble  endeavor. 

George  Alexander  Kohut,  the  eldest  son  of 
Alexander  Kohut,  has  maintained  his  family's 
tradition  for  learning.  A  mere  list  of  his  pub- 
lications would  fill  many  pages. 

In  his  Will,  Alexander  Kohut  requested  that 
on  the  anniversary  of  his  death  each  of  his 
children,  eight  of  whom  survived  him,  should  do 
some  good  deed  and  that  some  poor  theological 
student  be  assisted,  thus  bringing  to  fulfilment 
the  Biblical  saying :  "  The  memory  of  the  righteous 
shall  be  for  a  blessing."  This  request  has  been 
literally  carried  out. 

Few  men  among  us,  in  truth,  have  been  more 
signally  perpetuated.  A  year  after  his  death. 
Congregation  Ahawath  Chesed  erected  a  stately 
shaft  of  white  marble  at  Linden  Hill  to  his  m.emory. 
In  1915,  his  son,  George  Alexander  Kohut,  him- 


1  Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohiit 

self  a  collector  and  lover  of  books,  donated  to 
Yale  University  a  collection  of  books  relating  to 
Hebrew  and  Rabbinic  literature  collected  by  his 
father.  This  collection,  which  contains  many 
rarities,  consists  mainly  of  books  pertaining  to 
Hebrew  literature.  Every  department  of  Jewish 
learning  is  represented:  the  Talmud  and  its 
Commentaries  and  later  Rabbinic  works,  including 
the  literature  of  the  Responsa,  lexica,  and  hand- 
books covering  a  wide  range  of  subjects;  also 
several  thousand  books  and  pamphlets  pertaining 
to  Jewish  life  and  literature,  written  in  modern 
languages.  Included  in  it  is  an  unusually  com- 
plete set  of  periodicals,  in  Hebrew  and  modern 
languages,  bearing  on  the  history  and  literature  of 
the  Jews.  It  is  to  be  further  enlarged  by  the 
donation  of  the  remainder  of  the  library  now  in 
George  Alexander  Kohut's  possession — some  1500 
volumes  of  printed  books  and  about  100  MSS., 
many  of  them  unique.  Provision  is  to  be  made, 
likewise,  for  the  acquisition  of  accessions  from 
other  noteworthy  collections.  Taken  altogether, 
this  will  make  the  Yale  Collection  rank  with  the 
best  of  similar  collections  in  America.  The 
library  is  now  completely  catalogued  and  ar- 
ranged, available'  fori  reference  and  original 
investigation. 

In  connection  with  the  Kohut  Library,  there  has 


Memoir  of  Alexander  Kohut  li 

been  established  an  Alexander  Kohut  Memorial 
Publication  Fund,  of  $7000,  for  the  publication, 
in  the  Yale  Oriental  Series,  of  a  number  of  volumes 
of  Texts  and  Researches  relating  to  Semitic 
studies.  It  is  expected  that  at  least  one  volume 
will  be  issued  biennially.  Several  volumes  have 
already  appeared,  the  most  recent  being  Clay's 
Empire  of  the  Amorites.  An  important  Arabic 
text,  under  the  same  auspices,  is  in  the  press. 

In  addition  to  these  gifts,  in  commemoration  of 
the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  death  of 
Alexander  Kohut,  a  third  has  been  added  by 
George  Alexander  Kohut  and  other  members  of 
his  family — a  sum  of  $11,000,  the  income  of  which 
is  to  provide  a  Fellowship  for  advanced  study  in 
the  Department  of  Semitic  Languages  at  Yale. 
This  Kohut  Fellowship  is  the  first  to  be  given 
specifically  for  Semitic  study  in  an  American 
University. 

Thus  is  the  name  of  Alexander  Kohut  firmly 
established  among  those  who  have  enriched  the 
world  by  their  works — the  noble  band  of  those 
**  who  live  in  minds  made  better  by  their  presence." 
In  our  day  of  self-centred  ambition,  the  example 
of  this  scholar  who,  utterly  forgetful  of  self,  lived 
for  an  ideal,  will  stand  out  in  ever-increasing 
splendor  as  time  goes  on,  an  inspiration  for 
future  generations. 


ALEXANDER    KOHUT'S    CONTRIBUTION 
TO  JEWISH  SCHOLARSHIP 

By  Gotthard  Deutsch 

SAAC  M.  WISE  said  once,  philologists  are 
the  driest  and  most  narrow  people,  en- 
tirely devoid  of  all  interest  in  any  other 
branch  of  human  knowledge.*  Plutarch, 
the  classic  of  biography  in  parallels,  could 
not  have  chosen  a  stronger  illustration  for  the 
tendencies  in  the  American  rabbinate  during  its 
formative  period  in  the  second  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  than  these  two  men,  and  could 
not  have  shown  their  essential  difference  more 
strikingly  than  in  this  statement,  not  penned 
with  any  idea  of  Kohut's  work,  but  characteristic 
of  the  great  organizer,  full  of  energy,  and  impatient 
of  details.  Isaac  M.  Wise  will  in  another  fifty 
years  be  fully  understood  as  the  pathfinder  of  an 
American  Judaism  with  an  American  rabbinate, 
both  built  on  entirely  original  ideas.  Alexander 
Kohut  will  stand  as  the  last  representative  of  the 
European  ideal  of  scholarship  as  password  into  the 

*  American  Israelite^  Sept.  12,  1879,  p.  4. 

liii 


liv       Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

rabbinate,  inasmuch  as  he  was  the  last  American 
rabbi  called  to  the  pulpit  of  a  prominent  congre- 
gation in  the  United  States  on  the  ground  of 
scholarly  reputation.  It  is  highly  characteristic 
of  the  necessity  of  qualifying  every  general  state- 
ment, that  Wise's  remark  on  philological  pedantry 
and  one-sidedness  does  not  apply  to  Kohut,  who, 
with  all  his  interest  in  the  minutise  of  Talmudic 
philology  and  in  a  literature  which  had  at  best 
only  a  historic  interest,  was  a  deeply  poetical  soul 
with  truly  catholic  sympathies. 

Two  geographical  facts  are  search-lights  il- 
luminating Kohut's  life  and  achievement.  He 
was  born  in  Hungary  and  he  studied  at  the 
Breslau  Seminary. 

Hungary  entered  very  late  into  Jewish  literary 
history  but  soon  conquered  for  itself  a  leading 
place.  No  Jewish  author  is  known  to  have  come 
from  Hungary  until  the  eighteenth  century,*  and 
up  to  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
important  rabbinates,  both  of  the  orthodox  and 
the  liberal  congregations,  were  filled  with  men 
called  from  Germany  or  from  the  neighboring 
provinces  of  Austria.  Moses  Sofer  in  Presburg 
(1762-1839)  and  Leopold  Loew  in  Papa,  Kanizsa 

*  This  is  broadly  speaking,  though  Isaac  of  Tymau  of  the  fifteenth 
century  may  be  quoted,  but  he  is  not  a  man  of  any  consequence  and 
may  not  have  been  a  native  of  Hungary. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship        Iv 

and  Szegedin  (1811-1875),  will  illustrate  this 
statement.  The  seed  sown  in  this  land  has  borne 
a  hundredfold.  The  leading  orthodox  congrega- 
tions and  colleges  of  Europe,  Hamburg,  Berlin, 
Frankfort-on-the-Main,  London,  etc.,  as  well  as 
prominent  liberal  congregations  and  colleges, 
have  for  years  been  filled  by  men  of  Hungarian 
birth  and  early  Hungarian  training.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  the  rabbinical  Seminary  of  Budapest 
has,  in  the  forty  years*  of  its  existence,  contributed 
more  to  solid  Jewish  learning  than  any  other  of  its 
sister  institutions.  It  is  also  characteristic,  that 
at  the  time  of  its  opening,  it  called  two  of  its  pro- 
fessorsf  from  Austria,  while  since  that  time 
it  has  always  succeeded  in  filling  its  vacant  chairs 
with  its  own  graduates  and  still  had  a  supply  for 
other  institutions. 

A  new  era  began  for  the  Jews  of  Hungary  in 
1840  when  the  Diet  took  up  the  question  of  their 
civic  improvement.  Progressive  elements,  promi- 
nent among  them  Leopold  Loew,  a  native  of 
Moravia,  advocated  Magyarization.  This  meant 
progress  towards  secular  culture.  At  the  same 
time,  the  numerous  congregations  with  their  old- 
fashioned  Yeshibahs,  furnished  an  inexhaustible 
supply   of   young   men   well   versed   in   rabbinic 

*  It  was  opened  in  1877. 

t  David  Kaufmann  (1852-1899)  and  Moses  Bloch  (1815-1909). 


Ivi        Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

literature  and  filled  with  intense  Jewish  senti- 
ment. Kohut,  born  in  a  Magyar  district  of  the 
polyglot  country,  at  a  time  when  transformation 
from  the  isolation  of  the  Jews  into  the  assimila- 
tion with  the  Magyar  element  was  eagerly  dis- 
cussed, was  thus  from  his  earliest  childhood  im- 
pressed with  the  importance  of  cultural  differences 
and  the  process  of  their  amalgamation,  and  so  he 
was  predestined  as  an  eager  observer  to  turn  his 
attention  to  the  investigation  of  scientific  "Grenz- 
gebiete."     To  this  he  devoted  his  life. 

The  Alma  Mater  of  Breslau  was  of  equal,  if  not 
of  greater,  influence  on  Kohut  than  the  home 
environment  in  the  Yeshibah  of  Rabbi  S.  H. 
Fischman  of  Kecskemet  (1822-1879),  who,  from 
what  I  know  of  him,*  belonged,  like  his  better- 
known  brother,  R.  Feisch  Fischman,  preacher 
in  Presburg  (1821-1881), t  and  his  brother-in-law, 
Marcus  Amram  Hirsch  (1833-1909),  Chief  Rabbi 
of  Prague  and  Hamburg,  to  the  progressive  wing 
of  orthodoxy,  characterized  by  a  friendlier  atti- 
tude to  secular  education,  though  opposed  to  a 
professional    training    for    the    rabbinate    in    the 

*  He  refused  once  to  assist  at  an  oath  More  Judaico,  thus  showing 
that  unlike  the  fanatical  orthodoxy  he  insisted  on  the  pohtical  equahty 
of  the  Jews.     Allg.  Zeitung  des  Judentums,  1869,  p.  700. 

t  He  is  bitterly  attacked  by  the  leader  of  the  ultra-orthodox  party, 
Hillel  Lichtenstein  (1815-1891).  See  (j^n  n^3  nUIEJ^n  PP-  24-25, 
SzatmAr,  1908. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship       Ivii 

seminaries.  Alexander  Kohut  evidently  had  out- 
grown this  view  when  he  decided  to  enter  the 
rabbinical  Seminary  of  Breslau  in  1861,  for  just 
at  that  time  orthodoxy  was  engaged  in  a  vehement 
warfare  against  the  Institution,  and  its  "Direktor" 
(president),  Zechariah  Frankel  (1801-1875),  charg- 
ing him  with  destructive  tendencies  for  his  views 
on  the  authority  of  the  Talmud  *  in  which 
Hungarian  rabbis,  among  them  Gottlieb  Fischer, 
Kohut's  predecessor  in  the  rabbinate  of  Stuhl- 
weissenburg,  took  prominent  part. 

The  school  of  Breslau  and  its  guiding  spirit, 
Frankel,  can  best  be  characterized  by  its  in- 
sistence on  scholarship  and  its  conservative  policy 
on  questions  of  the  ritual,  with  freedom  in  theo- 
retical research.  In  this  atmosphere,  whose  in- 
fluence is  seen  in  the  work  of  its  earliest  gradu- 
ates, Joseph  Perles  (1835-1894),  Moritz  Rahmer 
(1837-1904),  and  Moritz  Guedemann  (1835-1918), 
whom  Kohut  met  as  mature  young  scholars,  the 
young  student  imbibed  the  desire,  which,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  testimony,  he  had  already  felt  in  the 
strictly  Talmudic  atmosphere  of  his  home  f  to 
elucidate  Jewish  thought  by  studying  the  spiritual 
life  of  the  environment  in  which  the  rabbinical 
literature  originated.     He  threw  himself  with  all 

*  See  Jew.  Encycl.  article:  Frankel:  V,  483. 

fReines:  Kohut's  biography  in  VD3m  in  Cracow,   1890,  p.  96. 


Iviii       Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

the  ardor  of  youth  into  the  search  of  collateral 
material  in  Arabic  and  especially  in  Persian  sources. 
In  the  latter  field  he  and  his  countryman,  Wilhelm 
Bacher  (1850-1914),  are  the  only  Jewish  author- 
ities.* 

According  to  his  own  report,  Kohut  first  con- 
ceived the  plan  of  an  adequate  Talmudic  diction- 
ary when,  as  a  young  man,  he  consulted  the  Aruch 
in  Landau's  edition,  and  found  it  insuflficient. 
He  must  have  soon  learned,  that  as  the  Persian 
vocabulary  penetrated  into  the  Aramaic  of  the 
rabbinic  literature,  just  as  in  other  countries  the 
languages  spoken  in  the  environment  of  the  Jews 
left  their  traces  in  rabbinical  literature,  Persian 
customs,  and  especially  folklore,  were  equally 
absorbed  by  the  Jews,  as  they  absorbed  some  of 
the  folklore  of  their  Latin,  their  Germanic  and 
Slavic  neighbors.  The  results  of  his  studies  are 
embodied  in  his  thesis,  which  deals  with  the  relation 
between  the  Parsee  views  of  angels  and  demons 
and  those  found  in  Bible  and  Talmud. f  A  kindred 
subject   is    his    essay    on    the    analogy   between 

*  The  need  of  men  of  their  type,  and  the  loss  sustained  by  Jewish 
scholarship  through  the  premature  death  of  Kohut  is  seen  in  the 
lamentably  weak  article  on  Persia  in  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  which 
suggests  the  great  advantage  which  it  would  have  meant  for  this 
work,  had  Kohut  been  spared  for  another  decade. 

t  Ueber  die  Juedische  Angelologie  und  Daemonologie  in  ihrer  Abhaen- 
gigkeit  vom  Parsismus.     Leipsic,  1866. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship       lix 

Parsee  and  rabbinic  eschatology  *  with  its  sequel 
on  the  parallels  between  the  legends  on  Adam  as 
found  in  rabbinic  and  in  the  Persian  literature.f 
It  would  be  a  presumption  on  the  part  of  one  who 
does  not  possess  even  an  elementary  knowledge 
of  the  language  and  the  literature  which  Kohut 
so  thoroughly  mastered  to  express  an  opinion  on 
the  views  at  which  his  investigations  arrive.  It 
may  be  that  he,  like  every  specialist  in  a  remote 
subject,  was  inclined  to  see  appropriation  in  mere 
accidental  analogies  and  to  overestimate  analogies 
in  ideas  which  are  the  common  property  of  all 
humanity.  When  we  find  that  in  Cremona  in 
1575  the  German  word  "  Kindbetterin "  is  used, 
it  does  not  follow  that  the  ruse  of  evading  the 
ban  against  gambling  under  the  pretext  of  enter- 
taining the  mother  of  the  new-born,  or  other 
practices  customary  at  childbirth  in  Italy,  were 
borrowed  from  Germany.!  Nor  would  it  follow 
that  the  practice  of  commemorating  the  departed 
members  of  the  family  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
death,  of  which  already  the  Talmud  §  makes 
mention,   is   of   German   or   of   Christian   origin 

*  Was  hat  die  Talmudische  Eschatologie  aus  dem  Parsismus  aufge- 
nommen?  Zeitschrift  der  Deutschen  Morgenlaendischen  Gesell 
schaft.  Vol.  XXI,  1867. 

tib.     1871. 

JLampronti:   pn'S^    inS,  article  D"in,  p.  54  a. 

§  Nedarim,  12  a. 


k        Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

because  the  word  "Jahrzeit  "  is  found  in  the 
vocabulary  of  the  Italian  Jews  *  and  has  pene- 
trated into  Persia. t  So  it  does  not  seem  justified 
to  accept  Kohut's  thesis  of  the  Persian  origin  of 
the  Book  of  Tobit  t  against  the  views  of  Hitzig, 
Graetz  and  others,  who  place  the  book  at  the  end 
of  the  first  or  at  the  beginning  of  the  second 
century  in  Palestine. 

The  scientific  freedom  of  the  Breslau  school, 
strangely  contrasting  with  its  submission  to 
authority  in  questions  of  religious  practice,  finds 
its  typical  exponent  in  Kohut,  who  not  only  showed 
the  influence  of  the  fundamental  dualistic  doc- 
trine of  Parseeism  in  the  second  part  of  Isaiah,  § 
which  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  orthodox 
in  his  native  country  was  rank  infidelity,  but  who 
went  beyond  the  boundary  lines,  staked  off  by 
the  earlier  liberal  exegetes  like  Luzzatto  and  even 
beyond  what  Frankel  may  have  considered  per- 
missible, when  he  showed  the  analogies  between 
Genesis   and   the   sacred  books   of  Persia.  II     On 

*In  the  form  Orzai,  Vessillo  Isr.  1909,  170.  See:  Berliner: 
Gesammelte  Schriften,  I,  179.     F.  a.  M.  1913. 

fAminoff,  D<3n  'l3Tp^,  Jerusalem,  1901.  See:  Zeitschrift  fuer 
Hebraeische  Bibliographie,  V,  154  (1901). 

J  Etwas  ueber  die  Abfassungszeit  des  Buches  Tobias.  Geiger's  Jued- 
ische  Zeitschrift  fuer  Wissenschaft  und  Leben,  X,  49-73.     1872. 

§  Antiparsische  Aussprueche  in  Deutero-Jesaiah.     Z.  D.  M.  G.,  1876. 

II  Zendavesta  and  the  First  Eleven  Chapters  of  Genesis,  J.  Q.  R.  II, 
223-229,  1890. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship       Ixi 

the  other  hand,  he  followed  the  best  traditions 
of  his  school  in  his  fundamental  work  on  the 
earliest  translation  of  the  Pentateuch  into  Per- 
sian, published  by  Jacob  Ben  Joseph  Tawus  in 
Constantinople,  1546,  the  first  book  of  the  Per- 
sian Jewish  literature  ever  printed.  By  this  book 
the  young  scholar,  a  few  years  out  of  college, 
achieved  the  greatest  distinction  which  can  fall 
to  the  lot  of  a  student.  He  was  a  "pupil  who 
instructs  his  teachers "  *,  for  his  teacher  Graetz, 
the  greatest  celebrity  of  the  Breslau  seminary, 
accepted  in  a  later  edition  t  the  correction  of  his 
former  statement,  in  accordance  with  Kohut's 
arguments.  His  main  interest  lay  in  the  investi- 
gation of  the  Persian  vocabulary  for  the  benefit 
of  Talmudic  lexicography.  To  this  subject  he 
devoted  an  essay  which  appeared  in  the  same 
year  in  which  he  entered  the  ministry  as  rabbi  of 
Stuhlweissenburg.  The  essay,  dealing  with  words 
of  Persian  origin  in  Talmud  and  Midrash,  ap- 
peared in  the  periodical,  edited  by  Hungary's  most 
scholarly  rabbi,  Leopold  Loew  t  who,  while  born 
in  Moravia,  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  Magyariz- 
ation  and  therefore  ceased  the  publication  of  his 


*  Talmud,  Hagigah,  14  a. 
t  Geschichte  der  Juden,  IX,  23,  3  ed. 

X  Beitrag  zur  Erklaerung  der  in   Talmud  und  Midrasch  Vorkom- 
menden  Persischen  Woerter.     Ben  Chananjah,  1867. 


kii       Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

German  periodical  when  Hungary  had  gained 
its  autonomy.  In  the  same  year,  he  had  occasion 
to  preach  a  eulogy  on  the  death  of  Solomon  Loew 
Rapoport  (1790-1867)  whose  essay  on  Nathan,  the 
author  of  the  first  Talmud  dictionary,  helped  to 
inspire  him  to  do  the  great  work  of  his  life. 

We  see  in  these  early  works  the  idealism,  typical 
of  the  students,  who,  no  matter  how  remote 
from  the  interest  of  the  masses  their  work  was, 
always  were  actuated  by  the  ardent  desire  to 
present  Judaism  in  the  proper  light,  so  habitually 
misconceived  and  maligned  by  the  non-Jewish 
world,  and  not  least  by  scholarly  orientalists. 
We  see,  as  we  shall  again  have  occasion  to 
notice,  an  almost  childlike  astonishment,  mixed 
with  genuine  grief,  that  the  Jewish  lay- world  does 
not  appreciate  the  work  which  in  the  final  resort 
is  done  on  their  behalf.  In  his  introduction  to  the 
Pentateuch  translation  of  Tawus,  Kohut  declares 
with  the  true  idealism  of  the  scholar  that  he  does 
not  look  for  any  compensation  for  his  indeed  not 
easy  labor  bestowed  on  the  work,*  and  he  hopes 
to  have  contributed  his  share  to  the  refutation  of 
the  still  prevailing  contempt  for  Jewish  contribu- 
tions to  the  culture  of  humanity.f     From  this 

*  Kritische  Beleuchtung  der  Persischen  Pentateuch-Uebersetzung  des 
Jacob  Ben  Joseph  Tawus,  p.  XI,  Leipsic,  1871. 

t "  Die  banale  und  leider  noch  immer  nicht  ganz  abgenuetzte 
Phrase  wie  'rabbinischer  Aberwitz'  und  rabbinische  Fabeln."    ib. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship      kiii 

point  of  view  we  understand  and  appreciate  his 
statement  that  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from 
Spain  was  a  boon  for  the  spiritual  achievements  of 
Judaism.*  We  see  how  the  devoted  scholar 
is  happy  at  any  discovery  which  adds  something, 
no  matter  now  insignificant,  to  our  knowledge  of 
Jewish  life  and  thought,  when  he  edits  with  great 
care  a  contribution  to  Jewish  liturgy  by  Saadya 
Gaon,  the  master  mind  of  the  tenth  century  and 
the  pioneer  of  Jewish  apologetics. t  We  see  him 
equally  devoted  to  the  elucidation  of  a  literature 
which  for  centuries  had  remained  hidden  in  the 
dust  of  libraries  and  could  at  no  time  have  exer- 
cised a  deep  influence  on  Jewish  thought,  when  he 
painstakingly  edited  Arabic  homilies  of  an  almost 
unknown  author  of  the  fourteenth  century.t 
Therefore  he  felt  keenly  the  indifference  to  his 
work  displayed  by  men  whom  he  had  a  right  to 
expect  to  give  material  support  to  the  work  which 
he  so  unselfishly  bestowed  on  the  elucidation  of 
Israel's  past.  He  is  justly  bitter  against  Adolph 
Sutro,  who  refused  to  allow  him  the  use  of  some 
manuscripts  in  his  library  which  he  keeps  under 

*  ib.,  p.  15. 

t  Die  Hoschanot  des  Gaon,  R.  Saadia.  Reprinted  from  Monats- 
schrift  fuer  die  Geschichte  iind  Wissenschaft  des  Judentums,  vol. 
37,  p.  506-517,  1893. 

X  Light  of  Shade  and  Lamp  of  Wisdom.  Hebrew-Arabic  Homilies 
Composed  by  Nathaniel  Ibn  Yeshaya,  1327.     New  York,  1894. 


Ixiv      Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

lock  and  key*,  and  he  is  sorely  disappointed  at 
the  refusal  of  Baron  de  Hirsch  to  assist  in  the 
completion  of  the  Aruch,  altho  the  same  man 
dispensed  millions  for  the  relief  of  the  material 
distress  of  persecuted  Jews.  He  is  deeply  hurt, 
not  on  account  of  the  personal  insult,  but  on 
account  of  the  stolid  attitude  of  the  wealthy  and 
socially  prominent  Jews  to  his  life's  ambition, 
when  appealing  on  behalf  of  the  Aruch  to  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore,  he  is  received  by  one  of  the 
great  philanthropist's  relatives,  who  told  him 
bluntly :  Sir  Moses  will  not  receive  any  schnorrers 
to-day-t  Short  as  was  his  career  in  America,  he 
appreciated  the  broader  vision  of  American 
philanthropists,  where  the  completion  of  his  Opus 
Magnum  was  rendered  possible  by  the  generosity  of 
Mr.  Jacob  H.  Schiff  and  by  the  appreciation  of 
his  congregation.  He  sees  in  the  land  "of  genuine 
freedom"  the  opportunity  for  the  development  of 
untrammeled  research  of  Jewish  literature  as  he 
saw  in  the  expulsion  from  Spain  a  similar  boon.f 
He  remained  to  the  end  the  true  disciple  of 
Frankel  to  whom  rabbinical  office  was  identical 
with  genuine  scholarship. 

*  Notes  on  a  ...  .  Commentary  to  the  Pentateuch  Composed  by 
Aboo  Manzur  al-Dhamari  ....  p.  11.  New  York,  1892;  Light  of 
Shade,,  etc.,  p.  13.  f  In  Reines,  VDSm  nn,  p.  106. 

I  Discussions  on  Isaiah,  Ch.  53.  Reprinted  from  Reform  Advocate, 
1893. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship      Ixv 

With  all  his  devotion  to  that  part  of  Jewish 
literature  which  is  only  of  interest  to  technical 
scholarship,  Kohut  possessed  a  deeply  poetical 
soul  which  never  was  oblivious  of  the  fundamental 
verity  that  all  learning  must#i  the  end  contribute 
to  the  betterment  of  humanity.  One  may  see  in 
him  the  romance  of  the  Magyar  nature  which  is 
apparent  not  merely  in  its  poets  like  Maurus 
Jokai  but  also  in  its  political  writers.  Kohut' s 
language  is  almost  dramatic  when  he  preaches 
or  delivers  popular  addresses,  and  occasionally 
even  in  the  introductions  to  his  scientific  works. 
Yet  he  almost  apologizes  for  "keeping  his  audi- 
ence in  the  vestibule  of  Jewish  learning  instead 
of  ushering  them  into  the  parlor,"  when  he  dis- 
cusses rabbinical  ethics*,  but  he  waxes  enthusiastic 
when  he  presents  Judaism  as  the  religion  which 
is  able  to  harmonize  realities  with  other  worldli- 
ness,  freedom  of  research  with  fidelity  to  tradi- 
tion.! Again,  with  all  his  modern  philological 
training  and  the  prosaic  exactness  of  the  philologist, 
Kohut  combines  the  old-fashioned  love  for  the 
allegorical  interpretation  of  Scripture  and  Mid- 
rashic  literature,  which,  based  on  the  Midrash,  is 


*  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers,  New  York,  1885. 

t  The  Hebrew  Scriptures.  What  They  Have  Wrought  for  Mankind, 
in  :  "  The  WorUTs  Parliament  of  Religions,  p.  724-731.  Chicago, 
1893,  also  published  separately.    New  York,  1893. 


kvi      Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

developed  into  keen  dialecticism  by  the  modern 
Hungarian  school.  In  a  memorial  address  on 
Rabbis  Solomon  Loew  Rapoport  of  Prague  and 
Wolf  Aloys  Meisel  of  Budapest  who  died  within  a 
few  weeks  of  each  other  in  1867,  he  introduces  his 
sermon  with  Amos,  iii,  3,  which  he  paraphrases : 
"can  we  see  two  such  great  men  depart  without 
convening  to  commemorate  them"  ?*  In  the  same 
sermon,  he  applies  to  Rapoport' s  literary  activity 
the  words  of  Genesis,  xlix,  12  in  the  interpretation: 
"while  he  still  had  his  milk  teeth,  so  to  speak,  his 
eye  for  the  discovery  of  hidden  truth  was  as  strong 
as  the  red  wine".t  Similarly,  he  interprets  the 
Talmudic  passage:  "He  who  holds  a  scroll  of  the 
Torah  in  his  hands,  while  nude,  shall  be  buried 
nude"  J  in  the  sense  that  he  who  considers  the 
Torah  merely  an  object  of  study,  strips  it  of  its 
most  beautiful  garments. §  No  thought  could 
have  more  strikingly  illustrated  the  blending 
of  the  scholar  and  the  devout  Jew  in  Kohut. 

This  romanticism,  which  might  have  been  a 
credit  to  any  Hungarian  rabbi  of  the  Presburg 
school,  is  also  noticeable  in  Kohut's  Hebrew  style. 
A  specimen  in  English  translation  would  appear 

*  The  real  meaning  is :  "  Will  two  walk  together  except  they  have 
agreed  ?  " 

t  The  real  meaning  of  the  text  is:  "His  eyes  shall  be  red  with  wine, 
and  his  teeth  white  with  milk,"  referring  to  the  fertility  of  Judaea. 

{  Sabbath,  14a.  §  Ethics  of  the  Fathers,  p.  59. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship      Ixvii 

ridiculous,  but  the  scholar  who  follows  the  de- 
velopment of  Hebrew  writing  from  the  seventh 
century  on  is  familiar  with  the  style  which  likes 
to  express  thoughts  in  allusions  to  well-known 
biblical  and  rabbinical  passages.*  To  the  student 
of  psychology  this  archaism  is  a  natural  symptom 
of  the  author's  conservatism,  of  a  romantic  and 
enthusiastic  love  of  old  Judaism  with  all  of  its 
peculiarities,  including  its  faults  and  foibles.  It 
is  the  sentiment  which  so  eminently  characterises 
Zechariah  Frankel,  ingrained  in  him  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  ghetto  of  Prague  in  which  he  had 
grown  up.  One  single  instance  in  Kohut's  writing 
will  illustrate  this  point.  In  his  lectures  on  the 
Ethics  of  the  Fathers  t  he  criticises  the  innovation 
of  the  American  synagog  which  places  men  and 
women  in  the  same  pew.  He  declares  that  since 
Ezra's  time  men  and  women  were  separated  in 
the  synagog  in  order  to  guard  against  improper 
conduct.  To  the  scholar  whose  critical  mind 
did  not  submit  to  authority  when  he  believed  to 

*  See  his  Introduction  to  the  Aruch,  p.  LXX, 

inn'   b):\  nbnn  nunriM  nno  mtry  tr^ty  b)}  'nnn»    TiaDn 

nnm  pai  '2^0  ind  d's^d  os*?  is'nn^  mtraiia  nNSinn  ...nNsinn 

'121  nna  mtr^  tr^tr^  nnna 

Similarly  in  the  article  Antoninus  he  says,  referring  to  Rapoport's 
hypothesis,  that  Antoninus  is  identical  with  Marcus  Aurelius  liJ  JVp 
133  131. 

tp.26. 


Ixviii    Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

have  found  elements  of  Persian  mythology  in  the 
Pentateuch,  questions  of  synagog  ritual  were  not 
decided  by  scientific  investigation  but  by  emotion 
based  on  Jewish  tradition. 

This  love  of  ancient  Judaism  was  the  inspira- 
tion of  his  magnum  opus,  the  Talmudic  dictionary. 
There  is  perhaps  no  book  in  the  world's  literature 
which  is  less  systematic  in  its  arrangement  than 
the  Talmud.  Indeed,  it  would  be  safer  not  to 
call  it  a  book  at  all,  but  rather  a  compilation, 
consisting  of  a  text  with  explanations,  discussions 
of  these  explanations,  extending  over  several 
centuries,  and  often  interrupted  by  glosses  and 
interpolations.  The  variety  of  time  and  of 
locality,  with  the  change  of  the  language  used  in 
the  environment,  made  the  text  more  and  more 
obscure.  Thus  we  find  that  rabbis  who  could 
not  have  lived  so  very  long  after  the  text  of  the 
Mishnah,  on  which  they  are  commenting,  was 
drafted,  are  discussing  the  meaning  of  a  technical 
term,  some  declaring  that  they  had  inquired 
among  all  scholars  without  being  able  to  obtain  an 
explanation  *  or  frankly  confessing  that  the 
explanation  which  they  were  giving  was  mere 
guess  work.f  The  era  of  the  Geonim  extending 
over  four  centuries  was  mainly  devoted  to  the 
elucidation  of  the  Talmudic  texts.     Like  all  pro- 

*  Pesahim,  39a.  f  Sanhedrin,  70a. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship      Ixix 

fessional  scholars  these  men  were  jealous  of  their 
authority  and  insisted  on  the  value  of  personal 
teaching.  For  this  reason  they  would  not  have 
handy  books  of  reference.  Their  explanation  of 
difficult  texts  and  terms  were  given  in  replies  to 
questions  addressed  to  them.*  It  took  again  two 
centuries  before  one  of  these  men  conceived  the 
plan  of  giving  a  dictionary  explanation  of  diffi- 
cult terms  in  the  Talmud.  This  was  Zemah  bar 
Paltoi  who  flourished  about  the  middle  of  the 
ninth  century.  Since  his  work  has  come  down  to 
us  merely  in  quotations  it  is  largely  a  matter  of 
conjecture  what  kind  of  arrangement  he  followed. 
The  fact  that  it  was  lost  proves  that  it  either 
never  was  popular  or  that  it  was  superseded  by 
the  succeeding  work  of  Nathan  ben  Jehiel  of  Rome 
in  the  eleventh  century  whose  work  has  survived 
in  Kohut's  edition,  and  judging  from  the  signs  of 
the  time,  is  going  to  survive  centuries  in  this  form. 
The  nature  of  Kohut's  work  is  not  easy  to 
comprehend  unless  we  trace  the  history  of  Tal- 
mudic  philology.  The  work  of  Nathan  ben 
Jehiel  was  indeed  a  master  work  of  a  pioneer 
which  was  for  the  first  time  presented  with 
scientific  appreciation  by  S.  L.  Rapoport  in  his 
biography  of  Nathan  (1829).  Kohut  was  able 
to  correct  this  interpretation  in  many   an  im- 

*  Weiss:  Dor,  Dor,  etc.  IV.  15-16. 


Ixx       Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

portant  point.  Abraham  Zacuto,  known  to  us 
now  through  the  astronomic  tables  which  Co- 
lumbus had  in  his  ship  library  on  his  first  voyage 
to  America,  gave  us  also  an  unsystematic  com- 
pilation of  chronicle  and  source  material  for 
which,  in  spite  of  its  awkward  character,  we  have 
to  be  grateful  in  view  of  the  dearth  of  historic 
sources.  In  this  book  *  he  tells  us  that  Nathan 
had  gone  from  Rome  to  Babylonia  to  study  in  the 
famous  schools  of  that  country.  Rapoport, 
though  not  accepting  the  statement  absolutely, 
declares  it  quite  possible.  Kohut  proves  f  that 
Nathan  had  used  the  explanatory  notes  of  the 
Geonim,  had  embodied  them  verbatim  in  his 
work,  so  that  the  superficial  reader  might  take 
Nathan  as  reporting  personal  observations  in 
Babylonia  when  actually  he  merely  quotes  the 
words  of  one  of  the  Babylonian  teachers. 

This,  however,  is  but  a  small  thing,  though 
it  is  of  considerable  consequence  to  know  where 
a  scholar  obtained  the  information  which  he  gives 
to  his  readers.  The  full  appreciation  of  Kohut's 
work  which  he  began  in  November,  1878  t  and 

*  D'btrn   rem'   nSD,  ed.  Filipowski,  London,  1857,  p.  124. 

t  Aruch,  Introduction,  p.  VI. 

X  He  dates  the  preface  in  the  old  style,  quoting  a  verse  from  the 
weekly  Pentateuch  lesson  which  expresses  the  idea  which  is  upper- 
most in  his  mind.  He  chooses  the  words:  "Out  of  this  well  they 
watered  the  flock"  (Gen,  29,  2)  which  was  read  in  1878  on  Dec.  1. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship      Ixxi 

which  he  finished  with  the  solemnity  customary 
when  a  scribe  finishes  the  writing  of  a  Pentateuch, 
May  14,  1889,  requires  an  outline  of  the  history 
of  the  work.  Kohut  has  done  this  work  in  his 
masterly  introduction  to  the  Aruch  which  gives 
the  biography  of  the  author,  the  sources  which 
were  at  his  command,  the  list  of  writers  who 
used  his  work  and  of  those  who  added  to  the 
development  of  Talmudic  lexicography.  Con- 
sidering the  thousands  of  works,  dealing  with  the 
Talmud  and  its  great  variety  of  contents,  the 
number  of  authors  on  its  philology  is  small. 
The  average  student  of  Talmudic  literature  was 
satisfied  when  he  understood  the  general  meaning 
of  a  passage  which  he  often  could  without  knowing 
the  meaning  or  the  derivation  of  every  word  in 
that  passage.  Only  exceptional  men  took  an 
interest  in  the  elucidation  of  every  word  in  such 
a  passage,  and  of  these  only  a  few  possessed  the 
philological  equipment  for  such  a  work.  There 
was  Menahem  di  Lonzano  (16th  cent.),  an  Italian 
who  lived  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Palestine 
and  therefore  had  an  opportunity  of  comparing 
Arabic  etymology  with  the  Talmudic  lexicography. 
David  Cohen  di  Lara,  rabbi,  and  Benjamin 
Mussafia,  physician,  both  living  in  the  cultured 
community  of  Amsterdam  in  the  17th  century, 
who   possessing    a   thorough   knowledge    of    the 


Ixxii     Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

Greek  language,  unknown  to  Nathan  and  to  the 
Babylonian  authors  whose  works  he  used  as 
sources,  added  important  explanations  to  the 
Aruch.  Mussafia's  work  was  especially  valuable 
because,  being  added  to  a  new  edition  of  the 
Aruch,  his  in  most  instances  correct  explanations 
of  Talmudic  words  from  the  Greek  became  easily 
accessible  to  the  student,  inasmuch  as  they  were 
reprinted  from  the  first  edition  (Amsterdam, 
1655),  in  all  subsequent  editions. 

It  was  not  until  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  the  general  inclination  to  secular 
studies  influenced  even  some  of  the  progressive 
Talmudists  of  the  old  type  to  pay  greater  atten- 
tion to  archeology  and  philology.  Among  them 
was  the  most  prominent,  Isaiah  Pick  (called  also 
Isaiah  Berlin)  whose  notes,  dealing  with  archeo- 
logical  subjects,  were  again  added  to  some  of  the 
subsequent  editions.  Kohut  enumerates  all  his 
predecessors  who  made  use  of  the  Aruch  or  com- 
mented on  it,  beginning  with  the  author's  con- 
temporary, the  classic  commentator  of  the  Tal- 
mud, Rashi,  (1040-1105)  down  to  Joseph  Stein- 
hart  (1707-1776),  Isaiah  Pick  (1725-1799)  and 
Maleachi  Ha-Kohen  Montefuscolo  (c.  1700-1781). 
He  carefully  notes  the  quotations  from  the  Aruch 
given  by  the  older  authorities  but  not  found  in  our 
text,  and  without  any  desire  of  minimizing  their 


Contribidion  to  Jevnsh  Scholarship    Ixxiii 

merits,  he  presents  with  unstinted  appreciation 
the  work  done  by  his  predecessors  of  the  19th 
century,  S.  L.  Rapoport  (1790-1867),  Michael 
Sachs  (1808-1864),  Joseph  Perles  (1835-1894) 
and  Jacob  Levy  (1819-1892),  though  the  work  of 
the  latter  was  a  competitor  of  his  own,  having,  as 
far  as  non-Jewish  scholars  are  concerned,  the 
advantage  of  being  written  in  German,  and  giving 
the  translation  of  the  passages  quoted  in  German. 
On  the  other  hand,  Kohut's  work,  written  in 
Hebrew,  was  of  greater  usefulness  to  Jewish 
scholars,  and  exceeded  that  of  Levy  in  the  fullness 
of  quotations.  Even  in  cases  where  Kohut  cannot 
suppress  severe  strictures,  as  when  he  speaks  of 
the  Aruch  edition  by  M.  I.  Landau  (Prague, 
1819-1824),  the  work  of  a  well-meaning,  but 
inadequately  equipped  publisher,  he  does  it  with 
the  benevolent  recognition  of  the  author's  good 
intention.* 

It  is  but  just  that  in  the  appreciation  of 
Kohut's  work  we  shall  give  first  his  original 
contributions,  which  are  a  lasting  monument  to  his 
industry  and  to  his  love  of  system,  and  as  far  as 
can  be  foreseen  have  put  the  finishing  touch  to 
the  structure  of  Talmudic  lexicography.  Kohut's 
Introduction,  giving  the  history  of  Nathan's  work 
and  of  Talmudic  philology  down  to  his  day,  has 

*  Introduction  to  Aruch,  LV-LVI. 


Ixxiv    Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

been  characterized.  The  greater  marvel  of  erudi- 
tion and  of  an  industry  which  is  nothing  short  of 
self-denial  is  the  wonderful  Index  which  gives  a 
methodically  arranged  list  of  all  Biblical  and 
Talmudic  and  Midrashic  quotations,  found  in 
the  Aruch,  of  all  quotations  from  older  authorities, 
as  Hay  Gaon,  Gershom  of  Mayence  and  Hananel  of 
Kairouan  (lOth-llth  cent.),  even  those  that  are 
not  mentioned  by  the  author  as  such,  but  silently 
embodied  in  his  work,  and  a  list  of  Italian  words, 
composed  by  the  author's  son,  George,  for  whose 
recovery  from  a  severe  illness  he  prays,  adding 
that  he  had  named  him  for  his  grand  uncle  Amram, 
a  learned  and  ascetic  rabbi,  the  pride  of  the  family, 
the  story  of  whose  life  was  an  inspiration  of 
Kohut's  youth. 

The  edition  itself  was  so  arranged  that  after  a 
summary  interpretation  of  the  word  the  editor 
gives  first  the  text  of  Nathan,  followed  by  the 
notes  of  Mussafia,  wherever  they  are  found, 
though  occasionally  interspersing  an  explanatory 
remark  of  his  own,  and  ending  with  his  own  addi- 
tions, containing  both  dictionary  explanations 
and  additional  references.  In  this  way  the  reader 
obtains  an  insight  into  the  historical  development 
of  Talmudic  lexicography  and  an  information, 
brought  up  to  the  latest  discoveries.  The  com- 
plex nature  of  his  task  shall  be  illustrated  by  one 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship    Ixxv 

instance.  The  radix  3?  has  eight  different  mean- 
ings: the  Biblical  meaning  "pure"  to  which 
Kohut  gives  in  addition  to  the  definitions  in  the 
works  of  his  predecessors,  notes  taken  from  the 
various  Bible  translations,  as  Septuagint,  Onkelos, 
Jonathan,  Tawus,  Saadya  and  the  Samaritan 
version.  The  second  meaning  "bell"  is  illus- 
trated by  Persian,  Arabic  and  even  Magyar 
etymologies  with  reference  to  an  opinion  found  in 
the  marginal  note  to  a  Rashi  manuscript.  The 
third  meaning  "pair"  is  taken  from  the  Greek 
Cwr^v',  as  already  Mussafia  noticed,  but  the  latter 
did  not  see  that  the  fourth  meaning  "scissors" 
is  derived  from  the  same  word.  The  fifth  mean- 
ing "pace"  Kohut  explains  from  a  textual  cor- 
ruption, the  sixth  "to  incline"  is  derived  from  the 
Arabic,  and  the  seventh  "festival  garment"  from 
the  Latin  "sagum,"  and  the  eighth,  given  by 
Mussafia  in  a  far-fetched  etymology  as  "bath," 
Kohut  proves  to  be  based  on  a  misinterpretation 
of  the  Targum  to  Esther,  1,  2,*  where  really 
crystal  is  meant,  derived  from  the  first  meaning  of 
the  term,  in  support  of  which  he  quotes  an  explana- 
tion by  R.  Gershom  from  a  manuscript  in  the 
Vatican  library. 

This  specimen  should  give  to  the  uninitiated 
an  idea  of  the  remarkable  industry,  the  devotion 

*  Kohut.  Aruch,  III,  270  b. 


Ixxvi    Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

and  the  scholarship  which  was  required  to  make 
the  Aruch  CompletMm  possible.  In  addition  one 
must  not  forget  how  difficult  the  financial  side 
of  the  task  weighed  on  a  man  subsisting  on  a 
modest  salary  and  blessed  with  a  large  family,  who 
had  to  be  personally  responsible  for  the  cost  of  the 
publication,  soliciting  support,  often,  as  was  told 
before,  exposed  to  humiliation,  and  only  in  the 
later  years  of  his  hard  endeavor,  obtaining  sub- 
stantial and  generous  assistance.  One  statement 
ought  to  be  quoted  as  an  illustration  of  his  enthu- 
siasm which  may  be  called  an  almost  childlike 
devoutness.  He  had  carefully  examined  the 
seven  editions  and  the  seven  manuscripts  of 
Nathan's  dictionary.  The  first  edition  quotes 
"an  Aruch.''  Kohut  is  happy  to  be  able  to 
prove  that  this  quotation  refers  to  the  work  of 
Zemah  Gaon,  and  thus  adds  one  more  reference 
to  the  single  one  hitherto  known  in  which  Nathan 
quotes  his  predecessor.  * 

The  author  of  this  sketch  is  compelled  to  confess 
his  inability  to  pass  judgment  on  Kohut' s  work  as  a 
lexicographer.  It  may  be,  as  stated  before,  that 
Kohut  overestimated  the  influence  of  Persian 
language  and  thought  on  Talmudic  literature, 
though  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  such  existed. 
It  hardly  admits  of  any  doubt  that  in  the  explana- 

*  r^'7'[^^  m^^t2:i  'n  OJn.  etc..  Introduction,  p.  XXI. 


Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship  Ixxvii 

tion  of  individual  passages,  new  finds  and  examina- 
tion of  old  manuscripts  will  result  in  the  correc- 
tion of  some  of  Kohut's  statements.  No  human 
work  is  free  from  imperfections.  It  is  a  humorous 
coincidence  that  a  typographical  error  in  the  Aruch 
Completum  has,  as  it  were,  providentially  indi- 
cated it.  In  the  Appendix,  containing  corrections 
and  additions  (P.  21),  in  the  phrase  "blessed 
be  he  who  remembers  that  which  was  forgotten"  * 
the  word  "forgotten"  was  forgotten.  Yet  if  of 
any  man's  work,  the  phrase  of  Horace  ''Exegi 
monumentum  aere  perennius''  may  be  used, 
Kohut's  Aruch  is  entitled  to  this  distinction.  No 
less  a  man  than  Solomon  Buber  (1827-1906),  the 
greatest  modern  authority  on  Midrash,  said  so 
when  the  first  volume  appeared,  using  a  Biblical 
phrase:  "such  perfume  has  never  come  into  the 
home  of  Hebrew  literature."  t  One  other  thought 
arises  in  us  when  we  consider  the  short  career  of 
but  52  years  which  was  granted  to  this  great 
scholar.  It  is  expressed  in  a  Talmudic  legend. 
When  R.  Dosa,  as  a  blind  old  man,  was  told  that 
R.  Eleazar  ben  Azariah  was  standing  before  him, 
he  said:  Our  old  friend  Azariah  has  a  son.  In- 
deed this  proves  the  Scriptural  truth:    "I  was 

*  mnSB'an  isn,  a  phrase    taken    from    the    liturgy    of  Rosh 
Hashanah. 

t  1.  Kings,  X,  10;  Aruch,  p.  LXXIII. 


Ixxviii  Contribution  to  Jewish  Scholarship 

young  and  now  I  am  old,  but  I  have  not  seen  the 
righteous  forsaken. "  *  Alexander  Kohut's  mem- 
ory is  honored  for  the  second  time  by  a  literary 
work,  due  to  the  filial  affection  of  a  son  who,  the 
father  hoped,  would  become  worthy  of  his  ancestry, 
and  as  of  the  Patriarch  Jacob,  it  may  be  said 
of  him:   He  is  not  dead,  for  his  progeny  is  living,  f 

*  Psalm,  xxxvii,  24.     Yebamot,  16a.  f  Ta'anit,  6  b. 


AN    ESTIMATE    OF    DR.    ALEXANDER 

KOHUT'S  PLACE  IN  THE  HISTORY 

OF  AMERICAN  JUDAISM 

By  Maurice  H.  Harris. 

WENTY-FIVE  years  ago  there  hailed 
from  Hungary  a  Jewish  scholar.  He 
lingered  with  us  here  less  than  a  decade, 
then  was  summoned  to  the  "Academy 
on  High."  What  lasting  impression  did 
he  leave  behind.'^ 

The  perspective  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  en- 
ables us  to  summarize  his  work  as  linguist,  theo- 
logian, as  teacher  and  communal  worker.  He  had 
already  won  renown  abroad  as  an  Orientalist,  a 
Chief  Rabbi,  a  member  of  the  Hungarian  Parlia- 
ment, a  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and  as  an 
eloquent  orator.  His  supreme  importance  lies 
in  the  domain  of  scholarship,  his  magnum  opus, 
a  dictionary  of  the  Talmud,  consuming  twenty-five 
years  of  his  life.  That  aspect  of  his  activity  is  con- 
sidered in  a  separate  study  within  this  volume, 
and  steps  have  been  taken  to  perpetuate  his 
valuable  contributions  to  learning  through  the 
medium  of  a  great  American  University. 

Ixxix 


Ixxx    Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

This  article  is  not  a  contribution  for  the  student 
few,  but  for  the  less  scholarly  many.  Let  us 
briefly  survey  the  religious  influence  exercised  by 
Alexander  Kohut  and  decide  his  place  in  American 
Israel. 

I 

First,  he  was,  in  his  day,  the  leading  exponent 
of  Conservative  Judaism.  Conservatism  is  a 
generic  term  to  indicate  the  middle  ground  be- 
tween the  two  great  wings  of  Orthodoxy  and 
Reform.  Orthodoxy,  broadly  speaking,  connotes 
that  unchanged  status  in  belief  and  practice  which 
obtained  in  Israel  since  Karo's  Shulhan  Aruch, 
of  the  16th  century.  This  was  a  digest  of  Talmudic 
law  and  of  later  rabbinic  Responsa  up  to  that 
time,  and  which  through  the  Printing  Press 
then  coming  into  use,  was  crystalized  into  a 
finality  of  Jewish  obligation. 

Reformed  Judaism  marks  that  new  departure 
in  the  acceptance  of  Jewish  Tradition  as  an 
evolutionary  growth.  It  stands  for  a  rationalistic 
interpretation  of  Scripture  and  of  Revelation.  It 
implies  further  a  renunciation  of  the  doctrines  of 
National  Restoration  and  of  a  personal  Messiah. 
It  claims  the  right  of  discrimination  in  Jewish 
ceremonial,  both  biblical  and  rabbinic,  and  finally 
is  exemplified  in  a  fuller  sense  of  Israel's  responsi- 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism  Ixxxi 

bility  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  world  at 
large. 

How  shall  we  define  the  place  of  Conservatism 
between  these  two  main  schools?  We  may  say 
first  that  it  accepts  the  old  doctrines,  but  not 
quite  in  the  old  way.  It  grants  a  wider  liberty 
in  belief  while  urging  conformity  in  practice; 
though  even  there  it  permits  some  modifica- 
tions and  abridgment  in  the  elaborate  cere- 
monial of  the  synagogue,  evolved  in  the  process 
of  ages. 

The  Conservative  Jew  may  continue  to  fulfill 
many  customs,  even  though  realizing  that  their 
purpose  is  outlived,  purely  out  of  sentimental 
association.  Let  us  not  call  this  illogical.  Senti- 
ment plays  a  large  part  in  religion;  does  it  not 
play  a  tremendous  part  in  life?  The  Conservative 
and  the  Orthodox,  then,  may  both  observe  the 
same  rite,  but  from  different  points  of  view — the 
former  may  still  fulfill,  for  example,  the  "second 
day"  of  the  Festival,  while  not  regarding  the 
neglect  as  a  transgression.  He  might  hesitate 
to  speak  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  literal  command  from 
Heaven,  but  none-the-less  realize  his  obligation 
to  fulfill  it,  to  remain  in  touch  with  the  whole 
house  of  Israel. 

Finally,  to  make  a  complete  statement  of  its 
case,  many  who  call  themselves  radicals  have  their 


Ixxxii  Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

conservative  moments  and  their  conservative 
moods.  Doubtless,  some  such  spirit  inspired  that 
Western  rabbinic  leader  to  restore  the  Torah  and 
include  an  Ark  in  his  otherwise  radical  fane. 

II 

I  have  dwelt  on  this  phase  of  our  faith  at 
length,  because  it  largely  defines  the  status  of 
Dr.  Alexander  Kohut,  and  in  order  to  make  his 
position  unmistakably  clear.  He  presented  his 
theological  views  in  a  series  of  addresses  on  the 
"Ethics  of  the  Fathers."  The  application  of 
ancient  teaching  to  the  issues  of  the  hour  is  the 
old-fashioned  but  classic  method  of  the  homilist. 
Apart  from  the  opinions  there  expressed,  these 
addresses  are  marked  by  that  scholarly  erudition 
shown  by  rich  drafts  on  Midrashic  lore,  mediaeval 
philosophy  and  historic  data,  characteristic  of  all 
his  literary  efforts. 

Utilising  the  chronicle  of  Jewish  Tradition  as 
contained  in  the  opening  chapter  of  the  Ethics, 
Dr.  Kohut  boldly  asserted  that  whoever  turns 
away  on  principle  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
validity  of  the  Mosaic-Rabbinic  Tradition,  has 
banished  himself  from  the  Camp  of  Israel.  Such 
are  not  Reformers,  but  deformers.  Even  the 
Karaites,  who  rejected  Rabbinism  and  who  conse- 
quently failed,  more   deserved   the   right   to   be 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism  Ixxxiii 

called  Jews,  for  they,  at  least,  regarded  the  Mosaic 
Law  as  divine. 

This  was  really  a  challenge  to  the  Reformed 
School.  Dr.  Kaufman  Kohler,  then  of  this  City, 
took  up  the  gauntlet  thrown  into  the  arena,  and 
the  theological  tournament  began.  None  better 
equipped  than  he  to  espouse  the  cause  of  Judaism's 
liberal  wing;  and  his  later  call  to  fill  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Hebrew  Union  College  justified  him 
in  coming  forward  as  its  exponent.  His  rejoinder 
was  expressed  in  a  series  of  addresses  entitled 
"Backwards  or  Forwards."  The  discourses  of 
both  men  combined  to  make  an  interesting  con- 
tribution to  the  history  of  American  Judaism. 

Dr.  Kohler  criticised  that  endless  list  of  cere- 
monial prohibitions,  that  made  the  Sabbath  a 
burden  and  buried  the  spirit  of  Passover  in  volu- 
minous data  of  fermentation.  "  Legality  has  blown 
out  the  light  of  religion,"  he  declared.  The 
woman  in  rabbinic  Judaism  was  classed  in  some 
respects  with  the  slave,  and  was  not  granted  her 
full  personal  worth.  Reform  has  changed  the  at- 
titude of  the  Jew  by  telling  him  to  rise  from  the 
ruins  of  the  past  and  build  a  Temple  to  humanity, 
a  Kingdom  of  Truth.  "We  must,"  further  em- 
phasized Dr.  Kohler,  "replace  legality  by  in- 
trinsic and  spontaneous  devotion; — lessening  the 
binding   authority   of   the   past.     The   power   of 


Ixxxiv  Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

regeneration  is  our  privilege.  Orthodoxy  sees 
the  word  of  God  in  petrified,  unchangeable 
statutes."  "All  honor,"  said  this  reform  teacher, 
"to  those  who  conscientiously  adhere  to  these 
ancient  regulations,  but  they  should  not  rule 
out  of  the  fold  those  who  can  no  longer  accept 
them,"  nor  style  them,  as  Dr.  Kohut  has  done, 
as  merely  "ethical  Jews."  Their  reform  views 
represent  largely  the  status  of  the  ancient 
prophets. 

Dr.  Kohler  added  that  he  was  not  blind  to  the 
fact  that  Reform  had  not  made  good  all  its  prom- 
ises and  was  not  blind  to  the  neglect  of  much  that 
should  be  cherished,  but  the  saving  of  Judaism 
cannot  come  through  galvanizing  dead  forms 
into  artificial  life.  We  do  not  believe  exactly  as 
did  our  fathers  on  the  doctrines  of  Revelation, 
the  Law,  Resurrection,  or  the  Messiah.  We  do 
not  believe  that  the  sacrificial  injunctions,  the 
data  of  priestly  garments  and  incense  preparations, 
came  from  Heaven.  We  must  recognize  that 
certain  Mosaic  laws  were  protests  against  idola- 
tries of  their  time,  and  to  observe  them  now  would 
be  a  mistaken  loyalty.  As  Rabbinism  supplanted 
Mosaism  in  the  treatment  of  the  heretic  and  in 
other  regards,  so  Reform  has  superseded  the  Con- 
servative school.  Not  backward,  but  forward  lies 
the  path  of  religious  freedom. 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism  Ixxxv 

Certainly  Dr.  Kohler  made  a  splendid  presenta- 
tion of  the  liberal  position. 

Ill 

Dr.  Kohut  vigorously,  yet  courteously,  took 
up  the  cudgels.  Yet  it  may  be  said  that  this 
diatribe  against  Orthodoxy  hardly  applied  to  the 
Rabbi  of  the  Ahawath  Chesed  Synagogue.  He 
said  the  Jewish  religion,  as  he  conceived  it,  cer- 
tainly stood  for  freedom,  but  freedom  within 
limits.  He  staunchly  stood  by  the  ancient  prin- 
ciple of  the  "hedge  around  the  Law."  Taking  the 
Mosaic  law  as  their  starting  point,  the  Rabbis 
adjusted  it  to  the  needs  of  the  time.  (Was  this 
not  a  concession  to  the  Liberal  view?)  "The 
whole  issue,"  stated  Dr.  Kohut,  "rests  on  the 
question:  Is  Judaism  capable  of  development?" 
He  answered,  "Yes  and  No."  "No,"  as  con- 
cerned the  Bible,  the  word  of  God.  Dr.  Kohut 
stoutly  maintained  that  we  must  accept  the 
Orthodox  view  of  the  doctrine  of  Revelation. 
Here  we  may  say  was  the  dividing  line  between 
these  two  eminent  scholars.  Dr.  Kohut  was 
conservative  not  only  sentimentally  but  theologi- 
cally. We  note  this  direction  in  his  presen- 
tation of  the  doctrines  of  Providence  and  of 
Retribution.  I  myself  vividly  recall  a  personal 
conversation  with  him,  in  which  he  said  he  was 


Ixxxvi  Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

firmly  convinced  in  the  coming  of  the  personal 
Messiah. 

In  preaching  on  the  quotation  from  the  book  of 
Judges  "Each  man  did  what  was  right  in  his  own 
eyes,"  he  pertinently  asked  the  question,  in 
furtherance  of  this  controversy,  "Wherein  lies 
the  right  of  the  individual?"  He  cites  an  answer 
that  famous  Midrashic  story  (later  quoted  by  Dr. 
Schechter  in  his  Aspects  of  Jewish  Theology),  of 
one  passenger  in  a  boat  defending  his  right  to 
bore  a  hole  through  the  ship  at  the  place  where 
he  was  sitting,  on  the  plea  that  that  was  his  seat. 
Certainly,  he  here  placed  his  finger  on  one  of 
reform's  weaknesses — extreme  individualism  and 
the  lack  of  central  authority.  Doubtless,  he  was 
directing  his  keen  survey  to  the  vagaries  of  some 
occupants  of  the  American  Jewish  pulpit  in  his 
day,  who  may  have  lacked  ripened  scholarship. 
He  was  rightly  jealous  of  the  learning  and  dignity 
of  the  Jewish  rabbinate.  Perhaps  he  rather 
caricatured  reform  in  his  Talmudic  disputation, 
"Which  was  right .f*"  for  we  must  regard  his 
insistence  on  the  validity  of  the  Mosaic  commands 
as  an  untenable  position,  though  he  tempered  the 
claim  by  saying  further,  "as  carried  out  by  the 
new  interpretation  of  the  rabbis":  Does  not  this 
loophole  save  the  reformed  position.? 

But  it  is  hard  to  do  justice  to  this  great  teacher 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism  Ixxxvii 

by  singling  out  these  isolated  references.  We 
must  read  the  whole  of  his  published  addresses 
to  realize  the  sterling  faith  that  inspired  his  word. 
For  he  did  not  wholly  defend  the  orthodox  nor 
condemn  the  reformed  position.  He  spoke,  in 
fact,  appreciatively  of  the  abridged  ritual  of  the 
American  synagogue.  At  the  same  time,  he 
uttered  his  warning  voice  against  some  American 
heresies,  reminding  us  in  the  words  of  the  rabbinic 
injunction  to  "Be  as  careful  of  small  precepts 
as  of  great."  "We  dare  not  play  with  religion. 
We  must  be  as  scrupulous  in  the  act  of  rejection 
as  in  the  act  of  acceptance."  Surely  we  reformers 
indorse  him  there.  I  imagine,  too,  he  had  in 
mind  the  splendid  communal  work  of  the  liberal 
wing  of  American  Israel  in  his  interpretation  of  the 
text,  "Combine  the  study  of  the  law  with  good 
deeds,"  though  lamenting  that  the  tendency  at 
the  time  was  to  neglect  the  former. 

I  think  he  reveals  his  innermost  conviction  when 
he  presents  before  us  that  famous  comparison  of 
Rabbi  Eliezer  Ben  Hyrkanos  as  "  the  well-cemented 
cistern"  that  does  not  lose  a  drop  of  water  (nor 
add  one),  and  Rabbi  Eliezer  ben  Arach  as  "the 
bubbling  spring."  The  former  marks  the  classic 
orthodox  position,  the  latter,  with  its  vital  prin- 
ciple of  evolutionary  development,  the  reform. 
In  justice  to  Dr.  Kohut,  we  must    acknowledge 


Ixxxviii  Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

that,  though  he  exemplified  *'the  well  cemented 
cistern,"  there  was  something  of  "the  bubbling 
spring"  in  his  interpretation  of  our  time  and 
faith. 

In  noting  his  exposition  of  these  ethical  pre- 
cepts on  which  he  based  his  presentation  of  the 
conservative  position,  we  can  here  well  see  how 
easily  they  lend  themselves  to  the  indorsement 
of  the  theories  of  the  teacher  expounding  them. 
For  example,  in  his  famous  address  on  the  teach- 
ing of  Rabbi  Meir — not  to  look  upon  the  vessel 
but  upon  its  contents,  since  the  new  vessel  may 
contain  old  wine  and  the  old  not  even  new — we 
can  well  see  how  a  Kohler  could  make  of  that  text 
as  splendid  a  case  for  the  reformed  wing  as  Dr. 
Kohut  did  for  the  orthodox.  He  introduces, 
however,  a  new  element  in  asking  whether  the 
vessel  is  sound,  and  if  not,  may  not  the  precious 
wine  leak  from  it?  "If  we  shatter  the  vessel, 
what  becomes  of  its  contents?"  Not  that  I 
honestly  think  that  he  wished  to  imply  that  such 
charge  should  be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  advanced 
wing,  but  rather — such  was  his  zeal  for  the  faith — 
that  he  may  have  discerned  a  danger  even  in  the 
harmless  change.  But  there  was  a  progressive 
spirit  in  his  nature,  too,  for  he  said:  be  not  like 
Honi-Hamagol,  the  Rip  Van  Winkle  of  the 
Midrash,  who  dreams  while  the  world  is  moving. 


KohuVs  Place  in  American  Judaism  Ixxxix 

Surely  we  are  heart  and  soul  with  him  when  he 
comes  forward  with  the  ringing  declaration  of  the 
uselessness  of  knowledge  without  character.  This 
in  illustration  of  the  famous  legend  of  the  four 
scholars  who  entered  the  Garden  of  Eden,  but 
only  one  came  forth  unscathed.  Now,  as  much 
as  then,  do  we  plead  with  Israel  to  make  their 
sacrifice  for  Kiddush  ha-Shem,  for  the  glorification 
of  God,  guarding  our  repute  as  His  chosen  wit- 
nesses. Let  us,  with  him,  point  to  Israel  of  the 
past,  who,  bearing  all  forms  of  humiliation,  re- 
mained daringly  loyal  to  the  sacred  cause. 

Yes,  when  we  come  to  the  profounder  issues, 
the  orthodox  and  the  reformed  stand  together 
and  the  Kohuts  and  Kohlers  fight  side  by  side  for 
the  spiritual  legacy  which,  apart  from  their  varied 
standpoints,  they  loved  so  well. 

All  will  be  in  earnest  agreement  with  his  re- 
markable interpretation  of  that  famous  text,  "It  is 
time  for  the  Lord  to  work;  they  are  frustrating 
thy  law,"  that  a  temporary  suspension  of  a  precept 
may  be  the  best  means  of  impressing  its  validity 
and  arousing  the  community  to  a  common  danger. 
Also,  a  time  may  arrive  to  suspend  a  law  to  em- 
phasize a  higher  religious  need.  In  surveying 
his  pulpit  utterances  I  note  that  he  does  not  over- 
look the  eternal  problem  of  the  suffering  righteous; 
that  riddle  of  the  universe  that  has  perplexed 


xc       Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

earnest  souls  ever  since  the  days  of  Job.  But 
through  it  all  there  shines  his  encouraging  and 
unswerving  faith. 

IV 

We  will  not  be  forming  a  correct  estimate  of 
the  theological  status  of  Dr.  Alexander  Kohut 
if,  in  spite  of  all  that  has  been  quoted,  we  class 
him  as  an  opponent  of  reform.  A  critic,  through 
the  columns  of  the  American  Hebrew,  in  which 
these  historic  addresses  appeared,  reminded  this 
teacher  that  the  congregation  whose  rabbinate 
he  had  accepted  stood  for  certain  distinct  reform 
beliefs  and  practices  as  expressed  through  the 
ritual  drawn  up  by  his  illustrious  predecessor,  Dr. 
Adolph  Huebsch.  That  liturgy  eliminated  belief 
in  a  personal  Messiah,  a  national  restoration,  a 
bodily  resurrection.  This  congregation,  further, 
had  females  in  its  choir  and  the  Tallith  was  not 
worn  by  its  worshipers.  But  Dr.  Kohut  did  not 
accept  the  religious  status  of  the  Ahawath  Chesed 
Synagogue  altogether  without  protest.  He  made 
a  strenuous  effort  to  restore  a  week-day  service 
during  the  Hanukkah  week  and  was  not  content 
merely  to  recognize  Purim  through  the  preceding 
Sabbath  of  Remembrance.  He  regarded  it  as  a 
violation  of  Jewish  observance  to  ride  on  Sabbath, 
and   for    that    reason    only,  regretfully    declined 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism     xci 

to  participate  in  the  children's  service  at  the 
Educational  Alliance  on  Sabbath  afternoon. 

Yet,  much  included  in  the  reformed  status  was 
unacceptable  to  him  at  first,  largely  because 
strange  and  unfamiliar.  He  soon  learned  to 
adjust  himself  to  what  we  may  call  the  American 
atmosphere.  Nor  were  his  strictures  confined  to 
one  side.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  condemn  certain 
errors  of  the  orthodox  school.  He  hastened  to 
pay  his  tribute  to  that  benevolence  so  character- 
istic of  the  liberal  wing.  But  controversy  was 
distasteful  to  his  gentle  disposition.  This  disciple 
of  the  peaceful  school  of  Hillel  rather  pleaded  for 
unity,  reminding  his  hearers  that  the  Israelitish 
nation  fell,  because  of  the  lack  of  it,  nigh  two 
thousand  years  ago.  Indeed,  he  made  a  resolute 
effort  to  form  a  union  of  all  the  congregations  of 
this  city.  Alas,  that  is  still  an  unattained 
desideratum ! 

We  may  infer  that  his  condemnation  was 
launched  against  some  shallow,  immature  preach- 
ers who  were  rather  heedless  in  their  radical 
propaganda.  So,  in  reviewing  the  famous  con- 
troversy between  these  two  renowned  scholars, 
we  might  say  that  Kohut  did  not  stand  for  the 
Judaism  criticised  by  Kohler,  nor  did  Kohler 
represent  the  kind  of  Judaism  condemned  by 
Kohut. 


xcii     Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

Unconsciously  Dr.  Kohut  felt  the  influence  of  the 
environment  of  America.  This  does  not  mean 
that  he  approved  of  what  came  to  be  known  as 
American  Judaism.  I  do  not  know  in  how  far 
he  approved  of  his  Synagogue  being  called  "the 
Boehmische  Schul."  He  objected  rightly,  I  think, 
in  applying  a  national  cognomen  to  any  phase 
of  our  universal  faith.  It  seems  strange,  by  the 
way,  that  the  most  bitter  opponents  of  Jewish 
nationalism  at  the  present  hour  are  very  stanch 
advocates  of  what  they  style  "American  Judaism." 
Of  course,  we  cannot  be  blind  to  the  fact  that  one's 
creed  is  influenced  by  the  political  atmosphere 
in  which  he  lives.  Doubtless  the  democracy 
and  liberty  of  America  have  imperceptibly  re- 
acted on  Synagogue  customs,  just  as  the  royalties 
and  social  castes  affected  Jewish  practice  in 
European  lands. 

Undoubtedly,  the  change  noted  in  Dr.  Kohut's 
later  addresses  showed  that  he  was  getting  his 
bearings  and,  in  the  best  of  senses,  becoming  an 
American.  So  it  is  significant  that  the  first 
sermon  delivered  in  the  English  tongue  was  an 
address  on  "Thanksgiving,"  an  American  institu- 
tion. In  the  year  1887  he  voiced  his  apprecia- 
tion of  the  bounty  of  America's  liberty  and 
America's  opportunity.  When  our  famous  Statue 
of  Liberty  in  New  York  Harbor  was  dedicated, 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism    xciii 

the  eloquent  Dr.  Kohut  was  selected  as  one  of 
the  speakers  and  chose  as  his  theme  "Liberty 
Enlightening  the  World." 

V 

The  influence,  then,  of  this  man  may  be 
expressed  as  a  wholesome  check  upon  a  too  in- 
discriminate program  of  abolition  characteristic 
of  an  early  stage  of  American  reform.  A  later 
synthetic  stage  has  revived  many  poetic  cere- 
monials of  the  Synagogue  that  it  had  earlier  too 
hastily  discarded.  Doubtless,  in  the  mutual  criti- 
cism, one  school  of  the  other,  each  was  able  to  take 
a  lesson  from  its  opponent.  Here  was  an  instance 
of  one  of  the  repetitions  of  history.  We  recall 
that  the  Rabbinates  of  the  early  Middle  Ages 
found  it  necessary  to  study  the  Bible  more  dili- 
gently, and  to  cultivate  Hebrew  grammar,  in  order 
to  meet  their  opponents,  the  Karaites,  on  their 
own  grounds. 

We  may  then  say  Alexander  Kohut  was  the 
champion  of  conservatism,  of  which  he  was  the 
best  exponent.  We  are  not  forgetting  either 
Szold  or  Jastrow;  but  these  represented  a  stage 
further  in  advance,  technically  known  as  "moder- 
ate reform."  He  will  be  most  lastingly  remem- 
bered through  two  great  movements  that  he  was 
partly  responsible  in  launching,  though,  strange  to 


xciv    Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

say,  neither  was  expressive  of  his  own  convictions. 
First,  his  addresses  spurred  on  his  opponents  to 
convene  the  Pittsburg  Conference  with  the  radical- 
ism of  which  he  was  entirely  out  of  sympathy. 
This,  secondly,  reacted  in  the  establishment  of  an 
Orthodox  Jewish  Seminary  in  New  York,  of 
which  he  was  a  joint  founder  with  Sabato  Morais, 
though  he  did  not  altogether  indorse  its  theological 
status.     Such  are  the  ironies  of  life. 

The  Pittsburg  Conference  was  one  of  a  series  of 
liberal  Jewish  assemblies  that  were  first  convened 
in  Germany  in  the  forties  of  the  nineteenth  century 
and  were  continued  here  later  in  America — America 
that  took  over  the  European  reform  tradition. 
The  Pittsburg  Platform  may  be  regarded  as 
reform's  latest  word. 

The  Theological  Seminary  of  America  was 
opened  in  January,  1887.  Dr.  Kohut  felt,  with 
many  others,  that  whatever  might  be  his  indi- 
vidual convictions,  it  was  for  the  welfare  of  Juda- 
ism at  large  that  orthodoxy  should  have  in 
America  an  efficient  educational  center.  So  he 
was  among  its  early  promoters  and  occupied  its 
Talmudic  chair  until  his  death. 

VI 

This  is  the  year  in  which  we  of  the  progressive 
school   have   been  celebrating  the  centenary  of 


Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism    xcv 

Isaac  M.  Wise,  the  virtual  father  of  American 
Reform.  None  the  less,  our  survey  of  Judaism 
as  a  whole  should  be  sufficiently  comprehensive 
to  realize  the  value  of  Kohut's  contribution  to  the 
cause  in  making  for  a  more  positive  Judaism.  Let 
us  not  forget  that  Dr.  Wise  was  a  stanch  pleader 
for  the  sanctity  of  Bible  law,  and  that  his  views 
w^ould  be  classed  as  conservative  to-day.  Dr. 
Kohut,  then,  prepared  the  way  for  that  genius, 
Solomon  Schechter,  who  "came  and  saw  and  con- 
quered."    But  that  is  another  story. 

If  he  were  alive  to-day,  he  would  see  a  different 
line  of  cleavage.  There  are  two  camps  still,  but 
no  longer  those  of  Orthodoxy  and  Reform,  but  of 
Zionism  on  the  one  hand  and  anti-Nationalism 
on  the  other.  We  are  not  as  keen  as  were  our 
fathers  as  to  the  discriminating  points  of  dis- 
tinction in  synagogue  observance — as  to  the 
covered  head  in  worship,  the  recital  of  prayer  in 
Hebrew — the  retention  of  some  Orientalisms.  We 
realise  that  "life  fulfils  itself  in  many  ways."  The 
vital  question  is.  Which  school  makes  for  the  best 
kind  of  Jew.f^  Something  can  be  said  for  both 
wings.  The  motive  behind  the  action  is  every- 
thing. There  is  all  the  ethical  difference  in  the 
world  between  ceasing  to  observe  dietary  laws 
because  they  are  regarded  as  part  of  an  ancient 
taboo,    no    longer    accepted,  or  dropping  them 


xcvi  Kohufs  Place  in  American  Judaism 

because  they  interfere  with  our  indulgence.  On 
vital  issues,  both  wings  of  the  synagogue  voice  the 
same  principles.  Both  stand  on  common  ground 
as  to  the  need  of  the  weekly  Sabbath,  the  Sacred 
Days;  of  prayer  and  faith;  both  emphasize 
social  justice  and  the  domestic  virtues  as  best 
expressive  of  the  ethics  of  Judaism. 

We  want  loyal  Jews!  We  will  not  quarrel  as 
to  the  theological  complexion  of  their  Judaism — 
the  persistent  enemy  is  indifference. 

Would  that  he  had  lived  longer  to  have  seen  the 
vast  changes  within  Jewry  and  beyond  it!  He 
was  taken  from  us  all  too  soon.  There  was  so 
much  he  might  have  achieved  with  his  vast  learn- 
ing and  his  indomitable  energy. 

Verily,  the  memory  of  the  righteous  is  a  bles- 
sing, radiating  a  sweet  influence  through  later 
generations  long  after  he  has  passed  away. 


SOME    MEMORIES    OF    ALEXANDER 
KOHUT 

By  Max  Cohen 


T  is  not  easy  to  recall  the  minor  details 
of  occurrences  and  events  that  transpired 
thirty-five  years  ago.  It  is  much  easier  to 
form  a  mental  picture  of  so  unique  a  per- 
sonality as  Dr.  Kohut.  I  have  certainly  a 
very  vivid  recollection  of  the  deep  impression 
he  made  upon  me  when  I  first  met  him,  and  then 
gradually,  as  from  week  to  week,  he  exerted  an 
influence  upon  me,  and  we  had  an  intimate  inter- 
course that  meant  much  to  me,  at  the  time,  and 
left  its  vestige  bright  and  fresh,  throughout  the 
years  that  have  elapsed. 

It  was  no  slight  task  for  a  man  to  undertake 
to  come  here,  a  stranger  from  a  strange  land,  to 
take  the  place  of  the  well-beloved  Dr.  Huebsch, 
who  for  many  years  was  the  venerated  Rabbi 
of  the  Boehmische  Schul,  and  who,  by  his  facile 
eloquence,  keen  intelligence,  shrewd  wit  and 
kindly  humor,  had  won  for  himself  a  high  place 
in  the  community,  as  well  as  secured  for  him 

xcvii 


xcviii  Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut 

a  warm  spot  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  attended 
Temple  Ahawath  Chesed. 

It  did  not  require  very  much  time  to  convince 
the  community  that  in  Dr.  Kohut  a  new  and 
striking  character  had  been  added  to  the  Jewish 
spiritual  forces  of  this  country.  It  was  not  so 
much  perhaps  that  he  was  a  great  Talmudic 
scholar,  but  that  he  had  a  happy  faculty  for 
utilising  his  wonderful  mastery  of  Midrashic 
literature  in  giving  his  sermons  and  addresses 
that  remarkable  vividness  and  picturesqueness 
for  which  they  were  noted  and  that  utterly 
defied  the  power  of  his  translator. 

That  is  the  point  at  which  I  came  into  contact 
with  him.  From  the  very  beginning  I  fell  under 
the  spell  of  his  magnetic  individuality.  I  was 
one  of  a  group  of  young  American  Jews  who, 
while  not  inordinately  addicted  to  Orthodoxy  as  a 
rigid  standardisation  of  thought  and  conduct, 
was  yet  opposed  to  the  wholesale  and  reckless 
discarding  of  everything  that  was  Jewish  simply 
because  it  was  inconvenient,  oriental,  or  was  not 
in  conformity  with  Episcopalian  customs. 

To  me,  then,  the  coming  of  Dr.  Kohut  was 
the  weaving  of  a  banner  for  the  renascence  of 
Historical  Judaism.  For,  from  the  very  outset, 
he  caused  it  to  be  felt  that  he  was  shocked  at  the 
wild  vagaries  of  Radical  Reform. 


Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut    xcix 

And  so,  in  my  enthusiasm,  I  undertook  the 
work  of  translating  his  sermons,  from  week  to 
week,  from  the  manuscript  which  he  furnished. 
Of  course,  I  did  not,  in  my  fervor,  realise  the 
difficulty  of  the  task  and  the  inadequacy  of  my 
mental  equipment  for  the  peculiarly  delicate 
nature  of  what  I  sought  to  achieve.  The  hurried 
character  of  the  work,  rendered  necessary  by 
their  weekly  publication  in  The  American  Hebrew, 
which  made  proper  revision  impossible,  was 
another  factor  in  minimising  its  worthiness. 

And  yet,  despite  the  shortcomings  of  the 
English  version,  the  message  he  brought  to 
American  Israel  had  its  effect.  He  certainly 
succeeded  in  laying  down  a  consistent  norm 
for  conservative  Judaism,  based  on  a  spiritual 
adhesion  to  those  things  that  were  vital  and 
fundamental,  and  yet  affording  practical  recogni- 
tion of  the  need  for  meeting  legitimately  the 
mental  and  social  attitude  of  the  young  men  and 
women  who  were  growing  up  in  an  American 
environment. 

He  was  far  from  being  of  a  combative  or 
pugnacious  character,  and  yet  he  soon  became 
the  center  of  a  controversial  orgy,  the  best  ex- 
pression of  which,  on  the  Radical  side  opposed 
to  him,  was  found  in  the  series  of  lectures  de- 
livered by  Dr.  Kaufmann  Kohler,  and  later  pub- 


c         Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut 

lished  in  pamphlet  form,  under  the  title  "Back- 
wards or  Forwards?" 

The  wordy  strife  wound  its  devious  course 
into  all  of  the  centers  of  Jewish  life  through- 
out the  country,  and  had  its  culmination  in  the 
Rabbinical  Conference  which  for  three  days 
grappled  with  the  problem  of  formulating  a 
platform  for  Reform  Judaism.  For  three  days 
the  thirty-five  representatives  of  Radicalism  strug- 
gled and  strove,  discussed  and  disputed,  with  the 
result  that  a  new  Confessio  fidei  was  presented 
to  the  world. 

Dr.  Emil  G.  Hirsch,  of  Chicago,  who  was  a 
participant  in  its  deliberations,  suggested  the 
elimination  of  the  word  "spread"  from  the 
platform,  as  people  might  think  it  a  crazy-quilt. 
And  the  word  spoken  in  jest  proved  to  be  prophecy. 

The  storm  of  protest  and  criticism  that  fol- 
lowed the  publication  of  the  Pittsburg  Platform 
was  one  of  the  most  violent  in  the  history  of  Juda- 
ism in  America. 

Even  the  Reformers  felt  the  impulse  of  indig- 
nation at  the  attempt  to  fasten  upon  them  the 
odium  of  subscription  to  such  doctrines  as  were 
embodied  within  its  limits;  to  link  them  with  an 
attempt  to  create  sects  within  Israel,  based  upon 
the  distinction  between  the  moral  laws  and 
ceremonial  laws,  or  upon  the  belief  or  unbelief 


Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut       ci 

in  the  existence  of  the  Jews  as  a  nation,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  a  religious  body. 

Those  days  are  not  so  far  in  the  past  even 
though  thirty-three  years  are  the  measure  of 
time,  but  what  the  intelligent  among  our  young 
people  can  appreciate  the  importance  of  the 
occasion  when  such  men  as  Drs.  Gustav  Gottheil, 
Marcus  Jastrow  and  Benjamin  Szold  repudiated 
the  Conference  and  its  work  in  unmeasured  terms. 

These  men,  and  others  like  them,  had  been 
identified  with  Reform  and  connected  with  the 
leading  Reform  congregations  in  the  country. 

Indeed,  Dr.  Kohut,  in  the  short  time  since  his 
arrival,  had  certainly  demonstrated  that  he 
was  a  dynamic  force.  Without  any  intention  of 
letting  loose  any  revolutionary  energies,  he  had 
surely  set  in  motion  the  thinking  faculty  of  the 
Jewish  people. 

Of  all  the  happy  memories  of  the  hours  I  spent 
with  him  in  his  study,  in  the  top-floor  front  in  the 
high-stoop  house  in  East  Fifty-seventh  Street, 
there  is  nothing  that  is  more  firmly  impressed 
upon  me  than  his  frequent  expression  of  anxiety 
to  avoid  unseemly  disputes  with  his  rabbinical 
colleagues. 

But,  of  course,  when  the  controversy  was 
forced  upon  him  by  his  conscience,  when  there 
was   involved   a   matter   of  principle,   and   par- 


cii       Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut 

ticularly  of  religious  principle,  then  there  was 
no  hesitation,  and  he  entered  lustily  into  the 
contest,  but  without  any  venom  or  vindictiveness. 

Is  it  not  wonderful  to  watch  the  growth  from 
day  to  day  of  an  humble  plant  as  it  first  bursts 
its  enshrouding  clod  of  earth,  gradually  thrusts 
its  head  higher  into  the  air,  until  finally  it  opens 
out  the  full  fruition  of  what  lay  dormant  in  the 
seed? 

How  much  more  wonderful  it  is  to  follow  the 
development  of  an  idea,  from  the  time  when  it  is 
first  uttered  until  it  finally  blossoms  forth  into 
the  full  flower  of  what  was  embedded  in  embryo, 
when  the  idea  was  given  birth ! 

It  was  certainly  a  remarkable  experience  for 
me  to  be  associated,  in  a  very  minor  capacity, 
with  the  entire  evolution  of  that  thought  of 
Dr.  Kohut,  sent  forth  to  the  world  upon  his  arrival 
here,  until  it  at  last  found  fruitage  in  the  creation 
of  the  Jewish  Theological  Seminary.  It  was 
certainly  a  precious  privilege  to  watch  the  whole 
process,  from  beginning  to  end — although  really 
the  end  is  not  yet. 

Yes,  the  controversialists;  on  the  conserva- 
tive side,  soon  came  to  the  realisation  that  a 
mere  war  of  words  would  not  dissipate  or  mitigate 
the  baneful  conditions  of  which  the  Pittsburg 
Platform  was  a  symptom.     The  Conference  that 


Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Koliut      ciii 

created  it  was  presided  over  by  the  President  of 
the  Hebrew  Union  College.  That  Institution  was 
dominated  by  the  influences  which  prevailed  at 
the  Conference. 

Unless  those  influences  were  to  be  allowed  to 
permeate  the  entire  Jewish  community  in  America, 
something  effective  must  be  done  to  counteract  its 
power.  Unless  the  Jewish  pulpits  of  America 
were  to  be  allowed  to  be  filled  by  men  whose 
hearts  and  minds  had  been  fed  on  such  provender, 
something  effective  must  be  set  on  foot  to  develop 
a  corps  of  Jewish  preachers  and  teachers,  whose 
ambition  should  be  animated  by  Jewish  ideals 
and  whose  zeal  should  be  dictated  by  Jewish 
thought. 

These  were  some  of  the  thoughts  that  gradu- 
ally found  expression  and  interchange  of  views 
among  the  leaders  of  those  who  adhered  to  the 
concept  of  Judaism  as  a  continuing  entity,  all  the 
way  back  from  Abraham  and  Moses,  through  the 
prophets  and  sages,  on  to  endless  time,  until  the 
Messianic  age  shall  dawn  and  gladden  the  lives 
of  all  men  and  all  races  and  all  nations  and  all 
creeds. 

As  these  thoughts  grew  and  spread,  they  con- 
verged towards  one  method  of  dealing  effectively 
with  the  problem,  and  that  was  the  creation  of  a 
Jewish  seat  of  learning.     This  was  the  method  that 


civ      Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut 

appealed  to  Dr.  Kohut  and  he  espoused  the  cause 
with  zeal  and  ardor.  It  enlisted  the  enthusiastic 
support  of  men  like  Drs.  Sabato  Morais,  Jastrow, 
Szold,  Bettelheim,  Schneeberger,  H.  P.  Mendes, 
and  others,  rabbis  and  laymen. 

The  project  soon  took  shape.  Conferences 
were  had,  and  before  long  a  convention  was  held, 
composed  of  delegates  from  congregations  in 
various  sections  of  the  country.  Naturally,  the 
eyes  of  all  turned  to  Sabato  Morais  as  the  head 
of  the  new  Institution  and  to  Joseph  Blumenthal 
as  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Dr.  Kohut  took  up  the  work  of  enlisting  pop- 
ular support  for  the  Seminary  and  of  laying  deep 
and  firm  the  foundations  of  the  establishment. 
This  was  work  that  enlisted  all  that  was  best  in 
him.  His  scholarly  instincts  were  all  aroused 
at  this  call  for  the  creation  of  an  Institution  of 
Hebrew  learning,  where  Judaism  should  be  hon- 
ored and  its  traditions  preserved  and  perpetuated. 

Just  as  my  editorial  position  on  The  American 
Hebrew  was  the  means  of  my  being  closely  associ- 
ated with  him  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  this 
country,  so  my  position  on  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  Seminary  afforded  me  exceptional  oppor- 
tunity to  observe  his  activity  in  connection  with 
that  institution. 

His  was  the  influence  that  made  for  thorough- 


Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut      cv 

ness.  He  had  but  scant  patience  with  superficiality. 
While,  of  course,  he  recognised  that  the  very 
creation  of  the  Seminary  was  based  upon  the  hope 
of  training  rabbis,  who  should  be  loyal  and  faith- 
ful to  the  teachings  of  Judaism,  he  was  equally 
insistent  that  they  must  be  endowed  with  a 
comprehensive  knowledge  that  should  command 
respect. 

On  Sunday,  January  2,  1887,  the  Jewish 
Theological  Seminary  was  opened; — about  a  year 
and  a  half  after  Dr.  Kohut's  arrival  in  America. 
That  is  no  mere  casual  coincidence.  There  can 
be  no  more  certain  demonstration  of  cause  and 
effect  than  these  two  incidents.  Surely,  there  were 
numbers  of  able  and  influential  colleagues  who 
were  with  him  in  the  work,  but  the  outstanding 
fact  remains  true  that  his  initiative  it  was  that 
finally  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Seminary. 

What  really  appealed  most  to  him  was  the  work 
upon  which  he  was  engaged  in  his  study;  the 
stupendous  researches  in  connection  with  the 
Aruch  Completum;  and  the  reading  that  he  con- 
ducted to  keep  himself  abreast  with  the  scholarship 
of  his  time.  His  favorite  occupation  was  followed 
at  the  long,  high  table  at  which  he  stood,  in  the 
great  room,  with  walls  and  shelves  and  floor  and 
tables  filled  to  overflowing  with  books. 


cvi      Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohui 

But  with  all  his  devotion  to  his  study,  and  his 
zeal  in  behalf  of  his  congregation,  and  his  kindly, 
loving,  gracious  relation  with  his  family,  he  found 
ample  time  to  apply  to  the  foundation  and  conduct 
of  the  Seminary,  with  whose  development  his 
heart  was  bound  up  and  for  whose  welfare  and 
that  of  its  students  he  was  ever  solicitous. 

The  minutest  details  attracted  his  attention 
and  concerned  him  seriously.  The  arrangement 
of  studies;  the  admission  of  pupils  and  their 
assignment  to  grades;  the  provision  for  secular 
studies ;  the  selection  of  instructors  and  discussing 
with  them  the  subjects  and  methods  to  be  pur- 
sued; all  these  things,  and  many  more  of  a  kin- 
dred nature,  aroused  in  him  the  warmest  interest 
and  secured  from  him  the  most  earnest  con- 
sideration. 

Yes,  he  certainly  had  a  mission  to  Israel  in 
America,  and  he  fulfilled  it  wisely  and  well. 

Of  interest,  too,  among  my  recollections  of 
him,  is  the  pleasure  he  manifested  when  his 
congregation  yielded  to  his  persuasion  and  rein- 
stated the  observance  of  the  historic  Feast  of  the 
Maccabees,  the  symbol  of  our  national  life,  the 
very  first  Hanukkah  after  his  coming.  And  so, 
too,  with  the  same  course  of  the  congregation,  in 
the  ensuing  springtime,  in  restoring  the  celebration 
of  Purim,  the  other  peculiarly  nationalistic  festival. 


Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut     cvii 

The  latter  event  is  associated  in  my  mind  with 
the  grief  with  which  it  was  connected  for  him, 
by  reason  of  the  death  of  his  dear  wife,  two 
weeks  before.  It  was  indeed  a  sore  affliction,  by 
reason  of  the  devotion  with  which  she  had  taken 
from  his  shoulders  all  the  cares  of  the  household 
and  the  training  of  the  large  family  of  children. 

From  the  very  beginning,  he  was  in  constant 
demand  to  deliver  lectures.  It  was  impossible 
for  him  to  accede  to  all  the  requests  that  were 
made  to  him.  Among  some  of  the  best-remem- 
bered of  these  are  the  Biblical  origin  of  legends  con- 
cerning Zoroaster  and  the  Genius  of  the  Talmud, 
both  before  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Associations. 

He  was  very  much  interested  in  the  Young 
Men's  Association  of  the  Congregation  Ahawath 
Chesed,  and  did  everything  he  could  to  secure  for 
it  a  series  of  the  best  lectures  and  in  other  ways 
to  enhance  the  attractiveness  of  its  sessions.  It 
was  before  this  Association,  I  believe,  that  he 
delivered  his  first  public  address  in  English. 

As  my  memory  reverts  back  to  those  early 
years,  I  recall  particularly  how  voracious  he  was 
for  facts  in  regard  to  all  of  the  men  and  condi- 
tions in  Israel  here.  He  would  politely  and  with 
interest  listen  to  any  casual  comments  I  might 
make.  But  what  he  was  after  were  the  basic 
facts,  and  then  he  would  form  his  own  judgment. 


cviii    Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut 

He  had  no  time  for  gossip,  no  patience  for  petty 
disputes.  First  of  all  he  was  a  Jew,  anxious  to 
prevent  the  development  of  sectarianism  in  Israel. 
The  multiplication  of  individualistic  prayer-books 
for  use  in  the  separate  Reform  temples  was  a 
source  of  great  annoyance  to  him.  His  mind  was 
fixed  upon  the  hope  and  dream  of  a  Congrega- 
tion of  Israel, 

Equally  distasteful  to  him  was  the  term  "Amer- 
ican Judaism."  This  sense  of  separation  of  our 
people  in  this  country  from  the  whole  body  of 
Israel  was  utterly  repulsive  to  him.  His  vision 
was  extensive  enough  to  see  the  whole  long  line 
of  continuous  national  devotion  of  Israel  to  its 
historic  purpose  and  sufficiently  intensive  to 
inspire  him  with  the  hope  of  doing  his  share 
towards  maintaining  that  historic  continuity 
and  that  unity  of  effort. 

To  him.  Conservatism  was  something  more 
than  the  mere  preservation  of  the  whole  body  of 
Jewish  culture.  It  involved  its  enrichment  with 
all  that  was  wisest  and  best,  with  all  that  was 
true,  in  the  thought  and  research  and  inspiration 
of  the  scholars,  seers  and  dreamers  of  the  entire 
world. 

It  has  not  been  my  purpose  here  to  furnish  a 
biography  of  Dr.  Kohut  or  a  study  of  his  work  as 
scholar  or  rabbi.     It  is  nothing  more  than  an 


Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut     cix 

attempt  to  set  down  some  of  the  recollections  of 
my  personal  contact  with  him  in  connection 
with  events  of  profound  concern  to  Judaism. 

I  cannot  forbear,  however,  from  adding  a 
few  of  my  impressions  of  his  personality  in 
addition  to  what  I  have  already  incidentally 
suggested.  He  was  rather  serious  and  sober- 
minded,  as  a  general  thing,  and  yet  he  had  a 
goodly  sense  of  humor,  on  occasion,  and  could 
relax,  at  times,  and  indulge  in  playful  witticism. 
While  he  could  become  righteously  indignant 
at  what  he  considered  wrong  doing  or  wrong 
thinking,  I  never  knew  him  to  lose  his  temper 
or  mental  equipoise.  Superficiality  would  prob- 
ably excite  his  ire  more  than  anything  else. 

He  was  far  from  being  a  social  lion.  All 
found  him  an  agreeable  companion.  He  could 
ingratiate  himself  with  the  young,  and  the  old 
deemed  it  a  privilege  to  be  held  in  converse  with 
him.  Without  ever  descending  to  the  common- 
place or  the  flippant,  he  could  meet  every  one  on 
themes  of  interest  to  those  with  whom  he  held 
intercourse. 

But,  after  all,  of  what  avail  is  all  my  zeal  to 
add  a  line  here  and  a  stroke  there  to  what  must, 
in  the  end,  be  but  an  incomplete  portrait.  The 
few  years  of  Dr.  Kohut's  life  that  I  have  partially 
described  are,  of  course,  but  a  fragment.    They 


ex       Some  Memories  of  Alexander  Kohut 

constitute,  however,  a  fragment  that  even  by 
itself  enables  us  to  form  a  vivid  conception  of 
the  man;  a  scholar  and  a  thinker,  strongly 
imbued  with  love  for  his  ancestral  faith  and 
intensely  filled  with  the  national  spirit  that 
realizes  how  indissolubly  united  are  the  ideas  of 
people  and  religion  for  the  fulfilment  of  the 
mission  of  Israel. 

There  have  been  few  scholars  in  America  in 
the  field  of  Jewish  learning  as  great  and  versatile 
as  he;  there  have  been  but  few  who  have  had  so 
lofty  and  consistent  a  conception  of  the  spirit  of 
Judaism  and  its  obligations  to  humanity,  and  fewer 
still  of  those  who  made  such  a  deep  or  such  an 
enduring  impress  upon  the  life  and  thought  of  our 
people,  as  did  Alexander  Kohut. 


THE  ETHICS  OF  THE  FATHERS 

S  GOD  pursued  His  work  of  creation,  He 
assigned  to  everything  its  distinctive 
function.  To  the  trees,  for  instance,  He 
prescribed  that  they  bear  seeds  within 
themselves,  "yielding  fruit  whose  seed  is 
in  itself."  The  same  is  true  of  all  things  in 
Nature,  whose  forces  are  renewed  by  power 
innate  in  themselves. 

Metaphorically  the  Torah  is  called  a  tree.  "It 
is  a  tree  of  life  to  those  who  lay  hold  of  it."  On 
that  Jewish  tree  of  life  have  blossomed  lovely 
fruits  that  have  served  at  all  times,  in  moments  of 
grief  as  in  hours  of  joy,  to  give  the  needed  word  of 
warning  or  to  warm  the  heart  of  Israel.  Under 
the  shade  of  this  tree  of  life,  Israel  rested  in  the 
storm  and  stress  of  persecution  and  in  the  wither- 
ing heat  of  hatred,  that  has  been  his  lot  almost 
without  surcease.  This  tree  he  nurtured  with 
the  heart's  blood  of  three  thousand  years  of 
martyrdom. 

Would  you  become  acquainted  with  the  most 
1 


2  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

beautiful  fruitage  of  this  tree?  God  willing 
and  your  patience  granted,  we  will  wander  to- 
gether in  the  garden  to  pluck  the  fruits.  I  shall 
not  weary  of  penetrating  the  depths  of  Jewish 
ethics  to  gather  pearls  of  wisdom  for  you — moral 
truths,  which  may  be  to  you,  so  to  speak,  a  vade 
mecum  for  use  in  the  exigencies  of  the  world  and 
of  life. 

In  a  word,  I  propose  to  deliver  a  cycle  of  relig- 
ious discourses,  each  complete  in  itself  but  inter- 
related with  each  other,  on  the  Ethics  of  the 
Fathers.  And  I  am  doing  so,  impelled  by  the 
beautiful  old  custom  of  delivering  discourses  on 
this  theme  during  the  summer  Sabbaths.  These 
ethical  sayings  of  the  Fathers,  inspiring  and  ex- 
alting, embody  the  highest  wisdom  of  life. 
They  contain  within  them  the  seed  of  truth.  They 
are  the  fragrant  fruit  ripened  on  the  Jewish 
tree  of  life. 

We  may  consider  the  first  sentence  of  the 
Ethics  as  introductory: 

D^jpn  D^ipT^  vmr]'>)  v^)r]i'?  nnoDi  ^^dd  mm  '?2P  hk'd 
nofc^  Dn    :  n^n:in  nojD  ^tj^jx^  nnoD  D^i^^nji  d^«uj^ 

"  Moses  received  the  Torah  on  Sinai  and  handed 
it  down  to  Joshua;    Joshua  to  the  Elders;    the 


The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers  3 

Elders  to  the  Prophets;  and  the  Prophets  handed 
it  down  to  the  Men  of  the  Great  Synagogue." 

I  reserve  for  future  consideration  a  historical 
and  literary  review  of  this  Great  Synagogue. 
Suffice  it  for  the  present  to  remark  that  these 
"Men  of  the  Great  Synagogue"  were  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  newly-developed  Judaism  at  the 
time  when  a  portion  of  the  Babylonian  Jews 
returned  from  their  exile  to  the  Holy  Land,  where 
they  established  themselves  anew  and  determined 
upon  matters  of  highest  import  to  Judaism  for  all 
time;  laying,  so  to  speak,  a  new  foundation  upon 
which  Judaism  might  again  flourish. 

The  chain  of  tradition  continued  unbroken 
from  Moses  through  Joshua,  the  Elders,  the 
Prophets  and  the  Men  of  the  Great  Synagogue, 
down  to  the  latest  times.  On  this  tradition 
rests  our  faith,  which  Moses  first  received  from 
God  on  Sinai.  On  this  foundation  rests  Mosaic- 
rabbinical  Judaism  to-day;  and  on  this  founda- 
tion we  take  our  stand.  He  who  denies  this, 
denies  this  on  principle,  disclaims  his  connection 
with  the  bond  of  community  that  unites  the 
house  of  Israel. 

Let  it  be  well  observed,  I  say  denies  this  on 
^principle',  because  there  are  many  who  do  not 
observe  this  or  that  ordinance  of  Mosaic-rab- 
binical Judaism,  who  cannot  or  will  not  apply 


4  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

it  to  the  exigencies  of  life,  yet  who  admit  that 
these  laws  are  applicable  to  the  conditions  of 
modern  existence.  Even  the  most  pious  Jew 
cannot  observe  all  of  the  613  laws,  with  their 
infinite  ramifications  and  applications.  Many 
laws,  mandatory  and  prohibitory,  lapse  by  their 
very  nature  or  by  the  decree  of  God  under  certain 
designated  contingencies.  Such  are  the  so-called 
nyiK  nnin  —  the  laws  whose  validity  is  limited 
to  the  confines  of  Palestine,  the  laws  pertaining 
to  the  sacrifices,  to  tithes  and  to  the  first-born. 
Even  of  the  xnna  ninin  —  the  personal  laws,  of 
universal  application  and  perpetual  validity,  not 
every  one  can  be  observed  to-day. 

In  this  connection  I  would  comfort  those  whose 
hearts  are  grieved  at  the  thought  that  they  cannot 
fulfil  the  whole  of  the  Law.  I  would  give  them 
a  noble-minded  explanation  of  the  great  Maimon- 
ides,  which  I  offer  with  less  reluctance,  because 
it  explains  beautifully  the  sentence  which  in- 
variably closes  each  section  of  the  Ethics  of 
the  Fathers: 

:niivDi  niin  Dnf>  nnin  irD^D^  ^xia^^-nx  nnr^  n"npn  m^ 

"  The  Holy  One,  blessed  be  He,  seeking  to  make 
Israel  worthy,  gave  him  a  Torah  and  many  com- 
mandments for  his  observance." 

Maimonides  illustrates  this  verse  by  a  story 


The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers  5 

from  the  Talmud,^  where  it  is  related  how,  dur- 
ing the  persecution  of  the  Jews  by  the  Emperor 
Hadrian,  when  death  threatened  those  who  faith- 
fully observed  the  Law,  R.  Hananiah  ben  Teradion 
was  discovered  in  the  act  of  teaching  his  disciples 
and  sentenced  to  die  by  fire.  Before  his  execu- 
tion, R.  Hananiah  was  oppressed  with  gloom. 

"I  am  inconsolable,"  he  said  to  his  friend  R. 
Jose  ben  Kisme,  "not  because  my  earthly  existence 
is  about  to  be  brought  to  an  end,  but  because  I 
may  be  deprived  of  my  share  in  the  life  to  come." 

"Tell  me,"  said  his  friend  reassuringly,  "have 
you  ever  fulfilled  a  single  religious  obligation  from 
a  pure  and  unselfish  motive.^" 

"Indeed,"  answered  R.  Hananiah.  "I  have 
gathered  moneys  for  the  poor  and  the  funds  of 
widows  and  orphans  were  entrusted  to  my  care. 
It  happened  once  that  my  own  not-insignificant 
funds  were  inextricably  mixed  with  the  money  for 
the  poor,  without  any  chance  of  knowing  the 
amount  of  either.  To  ensure  the  widows  and 
orphans  against  every  danger  of  loss,  I  applied 
the  entire  fund,  including  my  own  money,  to  the 
use  of  the  poor." 

"If  you  acted  thus  with  conscientious  unselfish- 
ness," said  R.  Jose,  "and  observed  God's  law 
without  interested  motive,  you  may  be  sure  of 
your  portion  in  the  future  life." 


6  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

From  this  Talmudic  tale  Maimonides  demon- 
strates that  he  is  a  true  Jew,  assured  of  the  future 
life,  who  observes  a  single  command  from  a  pure, 
unselfish  motive.  The  same  is  meant  by  R. 
Hananiah  ben  'Akashyah  when  he  said  that 
*'God,  seeking  to  make  Israel  worthy,  gave  him 
many  laws,"  so  that  out  of  the  many,  some  could 
be  chosen  for  observance  by  every  one;  not  that 
one  should  have  the  preference  over  another,  but 
that  at  least  one  law  should  be  observed  in  a  pure 
spirit. 

This  digression  suggests  to  us  that  not  everyone 
should  be  condemned  who  cannot  observe  all  the 
laws  with  equal  fidelity — taking  for  granted,  how- 
ever, that  he  acknowledges  the  binding  character 
of  the  Law.  Only  he  who  denies  this,  who  rejects 
on  principle  the  validity  of  the  Mosaic-rabbinical 
tradition,  thereby  banishes  himself  from  the  camp 
of  Israel,  writes  his  own  epitaph:  "  I  am  no  Jew, 
no  adherent  to  the  faith  of  my  fathers."  He 
denies  that  Moses  received  the  Torah  on  Sinai 
and  handed  it  down  to  Joshua,  he  to  the  Elders, 
these  to  the  Prophets,  they  to  the  Men  of  the 
Great  Synagogue;  and  so  on  to  the  Soferim, 
the  teachers  of  the  Mishnah  and  the  writers  of  the 
Talmud.  He  who  breaks  down  the  truth  of 
tradition  ceases  to  be  a  Jew — he  is  a  Karaite. 

This   Jewish   sect,    which   arose   in   the   ninth 


The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers  7 

century,  recognised  only  the  validity  of  the 
Written  Law  and  rejected  the  Oral  Law.  What 
did  it  accomplish?  Nothing.  It  decayed  and  dis- 
appeared. We  cannot  maintain  Judaism  without 
tradition.  Without  the  oral  teaching  we  cannot 
comprehend  the  written,  out  of  which  it  is  de- 
veloped. This  oral  teaching  served  to  guide  the 
infant  steps  of  Judaism,  and  when  Israel  grew  to 
man's  estate,  it  proved  a  safe  path  on  which  his 
religion  historically  unfolded.  This  path  we  do 
not  wish,  nay,  we  never  shall  leave. 

A  Reform  which  seeks  to  progress  without  the 
Mosaic-rabbinical  tradition  is  a  deformity — a 
skeleton  without  flesh  and  sinew,  without  spirit 
and  heart.  It  is  suicide;  and  suicide  is  not 
reform.  We  desire  a  Judaism  full  of  life.  We 
desire  to  worship  the  living  God  in  forms  full  of 
life  and  beauty;  Jewish,  yet  breathing  the  modern 
spirit.  Only  a  Judaism  true  to  itself  and  its  past, 
yet  receptive  of  the  ideas  of  the  present,  accepting 
the  good  and  the  beautiful  from  whatever  source 
it  may  come,  can  command  respect  and  recognition. 

But  let  us  guard  carefully  against  heresy- 
hunting.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  first  moral 
truth  enunciated  in  the  Ethics  is  this:  "Be  cir- 
cumspect in  judgment."  We  believe  that  we 
represent  true  Judaism.  Let  us  not  excommuni- 
cate the  leaders  and  members  of  other  congrega- 


8  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

tions  who  maintain  a  different  standard.  While 
we  may  deplore  the  fact  that  each  swings  his  censer 
of  separate  religious  views,  let  us  realise  that 
everyone  must  strive  after  truth  in  his  own 
manner.  Let  us  learn  tolerance  from  the  Rabbis 
of  old,  so  often  and  so  unjustly  decried  as  in- 
tolerant, who  said:  "Israel  is  to  be  likened  unto 
the  pomegranate;  even  the  seemingly  insignificant 
among  him  is  full  of  virtue  and  humanity,  as 
the  pomegranate  is  full  of  seed."  ^ 

How  much  that  is  good  and  humane  is  practised 
by  the  Reformers.  Our  false  Orthodox — (sincere 
and  honest  Orthodoxy  is  tolerant) — who  are  so 
ready  to  use  harsh  words  and  who  would  deny 
the  Jewish  name  to  everyone  who  differs  from 
them  in  opinion,  should  judge  with  greater  leniency 
the  Jewish  heart  that  dispenses  charity.  Where 
the  Jewish  heart  still  beats,  Judaism  and  Jewish 
piety  are  not  extinct.  Therefore,  "Be  circum- 
spect in  judgment." 

On  the  other  hand,  we  call  to  those  of  more 
liberal  tendencies,  in  the  words  of  the  same 
ethical  maxim:  nnin  Dn^D^n  n^Dyn  "Raise  up 
many  disciples"  min^  ro  \^v\  "and  make  a 
fence  around  the  Torah."  How  glorious  would 
be  the  outlook  of  American  Judaism  if  these 
two  precepts  were  fulfilled!* 

I  know  but  little  as  yet  of  the  Jewish  statistics 


The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers  9 

of  this  great  country.  I  do  not  know  whether 
New  York  has  90,000  or  100,000,  or  120,000 
Jews.  Be  their  number  what  it  may,  I  say: 
"May  the  Almighty  multiply  and  bless  them!" 
Butjl^am  sure  that  theyjare  not  all  members 
of  Jewish  congregations.  I  would  be  satisfied 
with  a  third  or  a  fourth  part.  This  is  an  anomaly 
that  should  not  continue. 

I  do  not  know  whether  it  will  be  my  good  fortune 
to  have  your  sympathy  in  my  religious  attitude — 
that  of  Mosaic-rabbinical  Judaism,  freshened  with 
the  spirit  of  progress,  a  Judaism  of  the  healthy 
golden  mean.  I  hope  I  shall.  For  such  a  Judaism 
I  plead.  Unfurl,  then,  your  banner  of  reason- 
able PROGRESS.     You  must.     I  know  you  will. 


II 

THE  FENCE  AROUND  THE  LAW 

N  my  first  discourse,  I  tried  to  demon- 
strate that  the  very  existence  of  Judaism 
depended  upon  the  beh'ef  or  non-behef 
in  tradition  that  dates  from  the  time  of 
Moses.  I  have  striven  to  prove  that 
Judaism  stands  or  falls  according  as  it  is  or  is  not 
based  upon  a  Mosaic-rabbinical  foundation.  Let 
us  now  see  how  the  development  of  this  tradition 
is  to  be  understood. 

Is  Judaism  a  finished  product  for  all  time  or  is 
there  still  a  need  for  further  development  .^^  If 
Judaism  is  to-day  a  closed  book,  then  we  dare 
not  depart  even  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  limited 
intellectual  sphere  of  our  ancestors.  We  would 
not  dare  "remove  the  ancient  landmark."  This 
standpoint  is  one  of  petrifaction.  We  should 
be  like  that  R.  Eliezer  of  whom  the  Ethics  tells — 
"A  cemented  cistern  which  loses  not  a  drop." 
Like  him,  we  would  only  transmit  that  which  has 
been  taught  us  by  our  teachers.  We  would  be 
doomed  to  spiritual  stagnation  and  to  mechanical 

10 


The  Fence  Around  the  Law  11 

thoughtlessness.  We  might  then,  indeed,  be 
justified  in  asking:  "  Are  we  still  Jews?" 

For  even  the  most  orthodox  cannot  aflSrm  that 
he  confines  himself  strictly  to  the  intellectual 
attitude  of  the  ancients.  For,  were  he  to  do  so, 
a  smile  would  never  play  upon  his  lips,  for  the 
Talmud  enjoins  the  most  solemn  earnestness  at  all 
times. ^  The  unlearned  would  not  eat  meat  ^  and 
we  would  not  even  drink  water,  much  less  wine, 
because,  forsooth,  libations  of  wine  and  water  were 
made  on  the  altar  at  Jerusalem,  and  with  the 
cessation  of  these  libations,  the  pious  are  for- 
bidden the  use  of  wine  and  water !  ^  Whither 
would  this  blind  letter- worship  lead  us.^^  No 
longer  could  we  lay  claim  to  be  "a  wise  and  an 
understanding  people";  we  should  be  a  foolish 
and  a  stupid  people,  indeed. 

Looking  at  the  reverse  side  of  the  picture. 
Reform  claims  to  cleave  to  the  spirit,  removing 
all  non-essentials.  Whither  does  this  conception 
lead  us.f^  Simply  to  the  position  of  the  Alexandrian 
Philo  two  thousand  years  ago.  That  neo-Platonic 
Jewish  philosopher,  in  accord  with  the  symbolizing 
spirit  of  his  time,  laid  down  the  principle  that  the 
Biblical  truths,  historical  as  well  as  ethical,  were 
merely  abstract  ideas.  The  Day  of  Atonement, 
e.g.,  or  the  Sabbath,  is  only  the  idea  of  the  suprem- 
acy of  mind  over  matter;  Passover  is  the  idea  of 


12  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

abstinence;  the  patriarchs  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob,  too,  are  ideas — Abraham  representing 
mind,  Isaac,  suffering,  and  Jacob,  labor.  Accord- 
ing to  this  method  of  interpretation,  the  Biblical 
law  evaporates  into  mere  ideas.  Before  all  this 
spirit,  the  body  disappears.  But  a  bodyless 
spirit  is  as  little  comprehensible  as  a  spiritless 
body  is  vital  and  potential.  This  purely  spiritual 
conception  leads  us  as  far  from  pure  Judaism  as 
the  mechanical,  unthinking  method. 

Whether  Judaism  is  evaporated  or  reduced  to  a 
dead  level;  whether  it  is  so  refined  that  nothing 
remains  but  a  shadow  of  empty  phrases;  or 
whether  it  is  taught  with  such  coarseness  as,  e.g., 
in  the  noiP  DV^  as  to  be  almost  blasphe- 
mous; ^  in  all  these  cases  Judaism  is  not  rightly 
understood.  Were  Moses  ben  Amram  and  Moses 
ben  Maimon,  greatest  sons  of  Israel  in  whose 
laps  Judaism  was  nurtured,  to  rise  from  their 
graves  and  contemplate  our  modern  Judaism, 
they  would  neither  recognise  the  narrowness  of 
the  Orthodox  nor  the  Mosaism  of  the  Reformers 
as  being  of  the  essence  of  the  religion  which  they 
had  taught.  They  would  say:  "You  who  seek 
only  the  spirit,  lose  thereby  the  kernel  of  religion, 
because  the  kernel  needs  the  protecting  shell ;  while 
you,  who  take  only  the  husk,  the  shell,  can  for 
that  very  reason  never  penetrate  to  the  kernel." 


The  Fence  Around  the  Law  13 

How,  then,  shall  we  find  the  pure  and  true 
Judaism?  Only  by  the  happy  reconciliation  of 
both  aspects.  The  Men  of  the  Great  Synagogue 
discovered  the  correct  method:  "Make  a  fence 
around  the  Torah." 

He  who  possesses  a  beautiful  garden  makes  a 
fence  around  it  so  that  neither  man  nor  beast  can 
trespass  therein  and  work  destruction.  So,  too, 
must  the  garden  of  the  Torah,  enriched  with 
noble  trees  and  lovely  plants,  be  enclosed  by  a 
protecting  fence.  Would  you  know  the  name  of 
this  protecting  fence?  It  is  called  reverence, 
that  keeps  us  from  touching  and  handling  with- 
out respect,  with  clumsy,  unskilful  hands  the 
flowery  domain  of  the  divine  Law.  Reverence 
alone  can  preserve  the  plants  which  have  been 
entrusted  to  our  keeping.  "Take  off  thy  shoes 
from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  ground  whereon  thou 
standest  is  holy  ground."  Shake  off  the  dust 
which  clings  to  your  feet  when  you  tread  the 
holy  ground  of  religion.  Would  you  approach 
the  pure  glory  of  divine  ideas  with  the  earthly 
dust  of  your  daily  life?  You,  with  your  limited 
mental  faculties,  would  seek  to  discover  the  final 
cause  of  the  divine  Law  and  would  even  model 
it  after  designs  of  your  own  convenience!  Do 
you  not  know  that  "religion,"  by  its  very  etymol- 
ogy, is  "the  consciousness  of  being  bound  ?  " 


14  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

"The  slave  loves  license  and  would  break  the 
chains  which  bind  him,"  says  the  Talmud.^ 
License  is  not  liberty.  Religion,  which  also  would 
make  man  free,  free  from  the  enslaving  senses, 
stands  for  freedom  within  bonds.  With  religion, 
you  are,  though  in  fetters,  free;  without  it,  you 
are,  though  unbound,  fettered.  Buried  within 
your  soul,  the  law  of  God  makes  you  free.  Blot 
out  this  divine  inscription  and  the  heavenly 
token  of  the  divinity  of  your  new  birth  will  flee 
from  you,  you  will  remain  what  you  were  at  your 
birth,  a  wild,  untameable  animal,  dangerous  to 
yourself  and  to  all  about  you. 

But  you  may  ask:  Shall  the  fence  around  the 
garden,  shall  reverence  be  extended  around  every- 
thing that  the  past  hedged  in.?  Are  there  not, 
perhaps,  too  many  fences  already  .^^  Have  not  our 
over-pious  ones  drawn  around  the  fence  so  many 
other  fences  that  access  to  the  garden  of  religion 
has  been  well-nigh  cut  off.^^  Shall  we  strike  the 
same  key  as  those  Halachic  pilpulists  with  their 
**four  ells  of  the  Halacha,"  who  held  as 
their  highest  principle,  r\T\'2  v^y  t^nn  n-'onon  ^D— 
"Whoever  can  conceive  of  even  one  new  diffi- 
culty, upon  him  shall  fall  the  blessing."  Shall 
we  never  dare  to  say  with  the  Talmud:  xi^nm  n3 
^ny — "The  spirit  of  explanation,  which  lightens 
the  burdens,  is  to  be  preferred"?^ 


The  Fence  Around  the  Law  15 

To  all  this,  my  answer  is:  "Make  a  fence 
around  the  Torah."  Not  everything  devised 
by  one  who  in  his  leisure  hours  seeks  to  win  for 
himself  the  name  of  a  l^ono,  a  scholar  who 
creates  difficulties,  not  everything  that  is  pub- 
lished as  Torath  Moshek  is  necessarily  the  teach- 
ing of  Moses.  Nor  is  everything  Torath  Moshek, 
which  strives  to  relieve  from  all  burdens.  We 
regard  the  Torah  as  that  which  is  commanded 
in  the  teachings  of  Moses,  looking,  however,  to 
its  spirit  and  its  significance  for  the  culture  of 
mankind.  "Remember  the  days  of  old,"  said 
Moses,  ''and  have  regard  to  the  changes  of  each 
generation."  (Deut.  xxxii,  7.)  ^  The  teaching 
of  the  ancients  we  must  make  our  starting-point, 
but  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  what  is  needed  in 
every  generation. 

Moses,  inspired  though  he  was,  would  never  have 
confined  us  to  the  narrow  sphere  of  long-past 
centuries.  He  wished  only  to  start  us  aright  in 
"the  days  of  old."  "Bind  yourselves  closely," 
he  seems  to  say  to  us,  "to  the  past,  to  the  Law 
received  on  Sinai."  He  knew  well  enough  that 
every  generation  would  have  its  own  dominant 
ideas,  its  own  ideals.  Therefore  he  permitted  you, 
believers  in  Mosaism,  provided  that  you  have 
chosen  the  proper  starting-point,  to  pursue  your 
own  goal  to  perfection.     That  is  what  the  Talmud 


16  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

means,  when  it  says:  nixn  v^v^  no  fc<^«  t^n^  t>  v^ 
— "The  judge  can  only  decide  from  his  own 
point  of  view."  ^° 

This  was  the  method  of  the  Soferim,  the 
Tannaim,  the  Talmudists  and  the  Codifiers. 
They  all  took  as  their  starting-point  the  divine 
words  of  the  Jewish  writings,  which  they  fenced 
in  with  their  niJpni  nnta — their  regulations  and 
ordinances — always,  however,  with  the  fullest 
regard  for  the  exigencies  of  the  times  and  for  the 
changes  that  might  become  necessary  in  conse- 
quence thereof. 

And  as  these  elders  did,  so  can — yes,  so  must 
we,  the  later  Epigoni,  do  in  the  exigencies  of  our 
own  day.  If  the  power  to  make  changes  was 
granted  to  the  Elders,  is  not  that  power  given 
equally  to  us.^  "But  they  were  giants,"  we  are 
told,  "and  we,  compared  with  them,  are  mere 
pigmies."  ^^  Perhaps  so;  let  us  not  forget  how- 
ever, that  a  pigmy  on  a  giant's  shoulder  can  see 
further  than  the  giant  himself. 

Let  us  now  revert  to  the  question  raised  at  the 
outset:  Is  Judaism  definitely  closed  for  all  time, 
or  is  it  capable  of  and  in  need  of  continuous 
development .f^  I  answer  both  Yes  and  No.  I 
answer  Yes,  because  Religion  has  been  given  to 
man;  and  as  it  is  the  duty  of  man  to  grow  in 
perfection  as  long  as  he  lives,  he  must  modify  the 


The  Fence  Around  the  Law  17 

forms  which  yield  him  religious  satisfaction,  in 
accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  I 
answer  No,  in  so  far  as  it  concerns  the  Word  of 
God,  which  cannot  be  imperfect.  no'^Dn  'n  nnin — 
"The  Law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect."  (Ps.  xix,  8.) 
You  Israelite,  imperfect  as  you  are,  strive  to 
perfect  yourself  in  the  image  of  your  perfect  God. 
Hold  in  honor  His  unchangeable  Law  and  let 
it  be  your  earnest  task  to  put  new  life  into  the 
outward  form  of  our  religion. 

Let  me  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  a  concrete 
example.  Since  the  time  of  Ezra,  our  women 
have  been  separated  from  the  men  in  our  houses  of 
worship.  Why?  In  order  that  the  proprieties  of 
the  synagogue  should  not  be  disturbed  through 
unbecoming  conduct.  But  where  reverence,  piety 
and  religious  fervor  are  found  in  men  and  women, 
shall  I  strive  against  it.^^  Our  women,  indeed, 
are  far  more  pious  than  our  men.  I  believe  that 
if  I  could  win  over  our  women  to  attend  the 
Friday  night  service  in  the  temple,  I  am  sure  that 
the  men  would  soon  follow,  and  n»t5^^  X^:^^  linoi 
r\^^'7  p«n — from  coming  to  seek  their  wives,  they 
would  remain  to  seek  their  God.  Here  you  have  a 
modern  interpretation  of  the  words  min^  ro  '\\i;v — 
"Make  a  fence  around  the  Torah,"  for  the  sanc- 
tification  of  the  Sabbath. 

Let  me  give  you  another  practical  illustration. 


18  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

After  our  wives,  who  are  dearest  to  us?  Our 
children.  We  have  well  -  organised  religious 
schools  with  staffs  of  trained  teachers.  If  parents 
had  attended,  as  they  should,  the  examinations 
which  have  been  going  on  for  several  weeks  past, 
they  would  have  discovered,  with  regret,  that 
the  children  can  read  our  beautiful  Jewish  prayers 
only  with  the  greatest  diflSculty.  This  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  home  does  not  assist  the  school 
as  it  should.  Parents,  teach  your  children  the 
Hebrew  prayers  in  your  homes  and  set  them  the 
example  by  praying  yourselves.  Children  learn 
best  from  parental  example.  Then  you  will 
know  by  experience  what  is  meant  by  the  maxim, 
min^  TD  ItJ^y — "Make  a  fence  around  the  Torah." 
Your  children  will  learn  to  love  the  Jewish 
writings  and  awaken  your  memories.  And 
in  time,  you  may  once  again  have  the  Jewish 
home  life  and  learn  to  love  Mosaic-rabbinical 
Judaism. 


Ill 

THE  FOUNDATIONS  OF  JUDAISM 

ROM  the  day  of  Revelation,  the  day 
destined  for  the  salvation  and  happiness 
of  humanity,  is  dated  the  national  ex- 
istence of  Israel.  Before  that  day,  the 
children  of  Abraham  were  simply  mem- 
bers of  a  large  family,  a  slave  herd  without  self- 
consciousness  or  intimation  of  the  higher  Power 
that  rules  the  destinies  of  mankind.  In  Egypt, 
they  were  a  mere  body  of  men  without  purpose, 
spending  their  energies  in  the  treadmill  of  forced 
labor,  without  ambition  or  yearning  for  loftier 
things,  moved  only  by  the  rod  of  the  tyrant.  Only 
at  the  foot  of  Sinai  did  they  become  conscious  of 
themselves  and  make  themselves  of  significant 
worth  to  humanity.  With  the  lightning-flash 
of  Sinai,  they  felt  that  they  were  to  be  no  longer 
mere  purposeless  tools,  but  messengers  of  a  great 
mission  of  religious  and  ethical  ideas. 

The  first,  spiritually-illuminating  ^d:x,  "I  am 
the  Lord,  your  God,"  gave  them  this  sense  of 
self -consciousness.     Again  was  uttered  the  crea- 

19 


20  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

tive  word  and  light  was  in  their  minds,  which 
had  so  long  been  encompassed  by  spiritual  dark- 
ness. Light  was  in  their  hearts,  which  had  been 
so  long  insensible  to  the  religious  feelings  which 
bring  happiness  in  their  train. 

noN  ^j<nc^^  loyf*  nnin  in^^  tj^pntj^si    ,di«  ^ji^  inj 
D^jr^yn  hti  D^jr^vn  ^x  D^jinnnn  id^>  i^xi  ix3o 

"When  God  created  the  world,"  say  the  Sages, 
"  it  was  decreed  that  heaven  was  God's  heaven, 
and  that  the  earth  belonged  to  the  children  of 
men.  But  when  the  Torah  was  given  to  Israel, 
it  was  ordained  that  thenceforth  those  who  are 
below  should  lift  themselves  on  high,  and  that 
those  above  should  descend  to  earth. "^^ 

How  penetrating  and  yet  how  elevating  is  this 
saying  of  the  ancients!  Before  Revelation,  they 
used  to  say  that  only  the  earth  belonged  to  the 
children  of  men;  they  clung  to  the  clod,  moving 
only  in  the  sphere  of  their  senses  and  worshipping 
Nature.  They  could  not  rise  to  the  height  of  the 
idea  of  God.  At  Sinai,  heaven  opened  itself  to 
man,  and  from  out  of  the  heights  the  All-merciful 
stretched  out  his  hand  to  the  child  of  dust  and 
lifted  him  to  a  moral  atmosphere.  No  longer 
was  man  orphaned,  for  his  soul  could  now  find  its 
way  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Only  One.     He  had 


The  Foundations  of  Judaism  21 

discovered  that  there  was  a  moral  force,  a  higher 
Power  in  the  universe,  which  alone  could  say  >D3K  : 
**i  AM."  Man  had  found  God,  and  with  the 
discovery,  an  end  was  begun  of  the  errors  and 
confusions  of  weak,  vacillating  humanity,  and 
stability  was  assured.  Thus  were  verified  the 
Biblical  words  (Ps.  Ixxv,  4):  n^ntJ^v  ^Di  nx  D>:io3 
•n^D  nniDX;  ^nj^n  ^dj«  —  "Whereas  aforetime  the 
earth  swayed  and  its  inhabitants  were  unsettled, 
the  '•3JK  which  resounded  through  the  world  and 
sank  as  a  higher  moral  force  into  the  hearts  of 
men,  cemented  the  foundations  of  the  earth  and 
assured  stability  to  its  pillars." 

And  what  are  the  pillars  upon  which,  since  the 
day  of  Revelation,  the  Jewish  world  has  rested? 
One  of  the  Sages  has  given  us  the  answer: 

^yi  mnyn  ^yi  minn  ^y  n^iy  D^iyn  onm  ntj^^t?^  '?v 
:  Dnon  n^^^oj 

"  The  ethical  world  of  Judaism  rests  upon  three 
things:  upon  the  Torah,  upon  Divine  Worship 
and  upon  the  Practice  of  Charity." 

Let  us  now  examine  these  three  foundations  of 
Judaism  in  the  light  of  the  Ten  Words. 

DDnx  nnno  ^j«  ,ix^  DK1  ,vD^^pr\'o  ddk  niinn  v'pip'q 
:  inni  inn^ 

"God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth  only 


22  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

conditionally.  The  condition  was  the  acceptance 
by  Israel  of  the  Torah.  Should  Israel  decline  to 
receive  it,  earth  and  heaven  must  return  to  their 
original  inai  inn."  ^^ 

It  is  an  inspiring  thought  that  lies  hidden  in 
this  sentence.  The  first  divine  creative  thought 
and  the  final  cause  of  creation  was  moral  per- 
fection, the  impulse  towards  which  is  implanted 
deep  in  every  human  being.  The  recognition 
and  the  realisation  of  our  filial  relation  to  God 
is  the  patent  of  nobility  inscribed  upon  the  brow 
of  man  created  in  the  image  of  God,  an  inscrip- 
tion which  should  never  be  obliterated  by  man 
unless  he  wishes  to  sink  again  into  a  condition  of 
spiritual  inni  inn  and  be  relegated  to  moral 
chaos  and  anarchy. 

This  moral  anarchy,  characteristic  of  the  pre- 
Sinaitic  period,  has  been  beautifully  illustrated 
by  the  Sages.  ^^ 

"Before  offering  the  Torah  to  Israel,  God  offered 
it  to  other  peoples. 

"What  is  written  therein"?  asked  the  children 
of  Ishmael.f^ 

"Thou  shalt  not  steal.  The  property  of 
strangers  must  be  sacred  to  you." 

"We  cannot  accept  the  Torah,  for  we,  wild 
sons  of  the  desert,  live  by  depredation." 

Then  God  offered  the  Torah  to  the  children  of 
Ammon,  who  led  dissolute  lives. 


The  Foundations  of  Judaism  2S 

"What  is  written  therein"?  asked  the  children 
of  Ammon. 

"Thou  shalt  not  commit  unchastity.  Marriage 
must  be  sacred  to  you." 

"  We  cannot  accept  the  Torah.  From  unchastity 
do  we  spring  and  we  will  not  be  restrained." 

And  so  God  offered  the  Torah  to  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth  in  turn  and  each  in  turn  refused  it." 

When  the  Torah  was  offered  to  Israel,  he  did 
not  hesitate  for  an  instant,  and  as  with  one  voice, 
he  exclaimed:  "All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken, 
we  will  do  and  understand."  (Ex.  xxiv,  7.) 
Ordinarily  we  listen  first  and  then,  after  investiga- 
tion, we  accept  and  obey.  Israel,  however,  prom- 
ised to  obey  the  Law  of  God  unconditionally  and 
afterwards  to  study  its  precepts:  n^i^V^ — and 
then  yotJ^Jl.  Thus  did  Israel  save  mankind; 
and  because  of  his  compliance,  he  was  rendered 
capable  of  comprehending  God's  word.  And 
because  Israel  was  the  only  people  that  manifested 
such  comprehension,  he  was  addressed  with  the 
words  T-n^x  'n  >d:&<  :   "I  am  the  Lord,  thy  God." 

The  first  of  the  Ten  Words,  '•DiX,  "I  am  the 
Lord,  your  God,"  is  supplemented  by  the  second, 
nmn  «^ :  "Make  no  other  gods  unto  your- 
selves from  that  which  is  in  the  heaven  above  or 
on  the  earth  beneath  or  in  the  waters  under  the 
earth."  Have  you,  O  man,  ever  conceived, 
with  your  intellectual  vision,  the  necessary  ex- 


24  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

istence  of  a  God?  Then  must  that  God  be  One 
— an  Only  One.  Read  God's  wondrous  work  in 
the  stars  and  the  planet-sown  heavens;  wander 
amid  the  manifold  beauties  of  Nature;  penetrate, 
if  you  will,  to  earth's  deepest  depths,  but  do  not 
deify  the  Master's  work.  Well  may  you  stand 
in  awe  of  God's  creative  power  and  bow  down 
to  the  dust  in  worship  of  that  Wisdom  which  has 
brought  it  forth  and  which  maintains  it.  Deny 
the  all-embracing  lovingkindness  of  God  in 
creation,  and  creation  is  doomed  to  perish,  to 
crumble  into  its  primaeval  atoms  (Job  xxxiv,  14) : 

But  do  not  deny!  Denial  is  the  cancer  that  is 
eating  ever  deeper  into  the  very  vitals  of  modern 
Judaism.  Because  man,  with  his  freedom  of 
thought — the  free  gift  of  God — has  been  enabled 
to  guess  at  the  highest  truths  concerning  God,  in 
his  immeasurable  conceit,  he  presumes  to  deny 
Him.  Therefore  the  second  Word  commands 
nc'yn  x^ :  "Make  no  other  Gods  unto  your- 
selves from  that  which  is  in  the  heaven  above  or 
on  the  earth  beneath  or  in  the  waters  under 
the  earth." 

And  as  this,  your  God,  the  One  and  Only  One 
purely  spiritual,  and  therefore  incapable  of  being 


The  Foundations  of  Judaism  25 

represented  in  any  physical  form,  is  only  disclosed 
to  your  profoundest  research,  so  is  He,  too,  the 
embodiment  of  all  moral  perfection.  Hence, 
the  third  Word,  \^^r\  K^  :  "Take  not  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  your  God,  in  vain."  Truth  is  the 
seal  of  God;  do  not  desecrate  it  by  deceit  and 
hypocrisy.  Seek  rather  to  perfect  yourselves  by 
the  development  of  your  natural  talents  and  your 
wonderful  faculties. 

Therefore,  nnc'n  Dvnx  mt,  "Remember  the 
Sabbath  day."  Do  not  labor  exclusively  for 
the  things  of  earth.  You  are  a  citizen  of  two 
worlds;  let  the  spiritual  portion  of  your  nature 
have  its  rightful  share  in  Sabbaths  and  holy  days. 

r\"2p'?  nnity  r\^v:  i^i^n  id^xi  nntj^  nnyn  ^^sncn  ?d 

"He  who  labors  during  the  six  days  of  the 
week  and  can  say  on  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath  *I 
have  completed  my  work  and  will  now  take  up 
my  labor  for  my  soul,'  such  a  one  becomes  a 
co-worker  with  God."  ^^  For  God  gave  man 
only  his  physical  existence,  endowing  him,  how- 
ever, with  the  possibilities  of  a  spiritual  life.  Man 
has  the  power  to  develop  these  possibilities  and  is 
therefore  responsible  for  the  creation  of  himself 
into  a  spiritual,  moral  and  ethical  being.  If  he 
thus  makes  himself  the  creator  of  his  better  self,  he 
becomes,  in  a  literal  sense,  a  co-worker  with  God. 


26  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

Thus  both  in  outward  form  and  inner  content, 
the  first  four  Words  hang  close  together.  They 
constitute  an  elevating  means  to  the  great  end  of 
self-sanctification  and  moral  perfection.  They 
form  the  substance  of  our  spiritual  consciousness 
and  prescribe  our  relations  with,  and  our  duty 
towards  God; — they  indicate,  that  is  to  say, 
our  service  to  God,  our  form  of  worship — and  as 
such,  they  are  the  second  foundation  on  which  the 
moral  order  rests  and  without  which  no  support, 
no  firmness  is  conceivable. 

An  ancient  teacher,  R.  Akiba,  indicates  this 
truth  symbolically; 

'1DV«^D  x''D  r\i2^r\  ^•x  iintD  ^^^  ^jdx^  ly^ana^D 

"When  you  see  white  marble  pillars,  do  not  say 
that   they   are   only  idle   show   and  pretence. "^^ 

When  you  have  reached  the  stage  when  you 
think  that  you  can  dispense  with  God,  when  you 
consider  religious  worship  as  so  much  superfluous 
ballast,  be  on  your  guard;  you  have  lost  your 
bearings;  you  are  simply  wandering  to  and  fro, 
confused  by  moral  error.  Therefore,  let  the 
Divine  Service,  the  second  pillar,  be  our  strong- 
hold and  our  support. 

The  third  pillar,  which  supports  the  edifice  of 
the  world,  is  the  Practice  of  Charity,  and  a  strong 
support  it  is.     Only  through  it  are  the  two  other 


The  Foundations  of  Judaism  27 

pillars,  the  knowledge  and  the  worship  of  God 
really  made  steadfast.  It  is,  in  truth,  the  founda- 
tion of  the  first  Word:  "I  am  the  Lord,  your 
God";  because  "I  am  He  who  brought  you  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage." 
This  act  of  God  was  an  act  of  benevolence  towards 
Israel.  And  if  the  Israelite  endeavors  to  free 
himself  from  spiritual  slavery  and  to  perfect 
himself  in  the  service  of  God,  he,  too,  performs 
an  act  of  benevolence  towards  himself.  He  gains 
strength  and  courage  in  his  struggle  against  sin. 
Such  divine  service  Js  at  one  and  the  same  time 
service  of  God  and  service  of  self. 

But  man  has  also  duties  towards  his  fellow- 
men,  the  fulfilment  of  which  is  of  equal  impor- 
tance to  the  fulfilment  of  his  duties  towards  God. 
Hence  the  fifth  Word:  "Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the 
land  which  the  Lord,  thy  God,  giveth  thee." 
This  Word  concludes  the  series  of  duties  which  we 
owe  to  God  and  is  at  the  same  time  the  transition- 
point  to  the  duties  which  we  owe  to  Society. 
Hence  God's  name  is  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  command  to  honor  our  parents,  as  the 
Being  who  implants  within  our  hearts  such  holy 
emotions. 

Respect  for  the  person  and  property  of  others 
is  equally  of  the  highest  ethical  importance,  hence 


28  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

follow  the  further  five  Words  on  the  second  of  the 
two  stone  tablets  of  the  Covenant, 

"Sacred  must  be  unto  you  the  life,  the  domestic 
purity,  the  property,  the  good  name,  and  every 
possession  of  your  neighbor."  To  Israel  be  the 
glory  and  the  honor  of  having  made  these  last 
five  Words — the  substance  of  the  highest  ethical 
truth  and  the  exercise  of  which  means  the  prac- 
tice of  LOVE  in  our  daily  lives,  the  basis  of  his 
moral  code  for  the  individual  and  the  community. 
The  second  half  of  the  Decalogue,  it  is  obvious 
to  everyone,  demonstrates  that  the  more  abstract 
first  portion  is  a  product  of  the  highest  divine 
truth  and  wisdom.  Intellectual  indolence  might 
say  of  the  first  half  tJ'in  fc^in  iDvy  nnD^ ,  that  God 
gave  the  commandments  relating  to  His  exist- 
ence for  His  own  glory.  But  closely  connected 
with  them  follow  the  latter  five  that  have 
reference  to  the  well-being  of  mankind,  and 
these  lead  but  to  one  conclusion:  Do^?  DD^l^x  'n 
"The  Lord,  your  God,  is  truth."  Truth  speaks 
in  the  wise  commands  which  direct  His  will 
towards  us.  May  they  guide  our  relations  to 
Him,  our  relations  to  ourselves  and  to  our  fellow- 
men  !  May  they  be  the  means  of  firmly  establish- 
ing the  three-fold  basis  on  which  our  moral  ex- 


The  Foundations  of  Judaism  29 

istence  rests:  the  Torah,  Divine  Worship  and 
the  Practice  of  Charity.  In  the  fulfilment  of 
these  essential  truths,  we  must  find  the  real 
purpose  of  the  holiness  of  our  lives  and  pursue  it 
with  unremitting  love.  That  is  what  our  Sages 
meant  when  they  taught  that  the  Torah  should 
be  to  us  as  if  revealed  to  us  anew  each  day.  ^^ 

In  this  connection,  an  ancient  writer  asks: 
"  How  has  it  come  to  pass  that  Simhath  Torah  is 
celebrated  at  the  end  of  the  Sukkoth  festival, 
and  not  on  Shabuofh,  nearly  half  a  year  later 
than  we  would  have  expected?  Would  it  not  have 
been  more  appropriate  to  celebrate  it  on  Shabuothf 
the  day  of  the  giving  of  the  Law?  "  He  answers 
his  question  with  a  parable. 

"Israel  and  the  Torah  are  like  the  union  of 
hearts  between  a  newly-married  couple.  They 
have  learned  to  love  one  another  and  vow  eternal 
fealty.  But  how  often  does  it  happen  that  with 
the  lapse  of  time  the  bonds  that  symbolise  the 
union  are  broken  asunder!  They  have  found,  on 
closer  study,  that  they  are  not  suited  to  each 
other  and  they  speak  the  pitiful  words:  *If  you 
go  to  the  right,  I  will  go  to  the  left.'  But  if,  by 
reason  of  perfect  sympathy  and  heart-harmony, 
not  only  the  honey-moon,  but  month  after  month 
pass  by  in  ever-increasing  joy,  day  by  day  reveal- 
ing to  each  new  virtues  and  graces  in  the  other, 
they  are  filled  with  greater  joy  than  on  their 
wedding  day." 


30  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

So  it  is  with  Israel.     On  the  day  of  Revelation  \ 

our    ancestors    exclaimed  VDt^Jl  nti'yj — "We    will  j 

obey  and  understand"  the  word  of  God.     What  -l 

would   have   happened   if   the   Law  had   proven  \ 

distasteful  to  them.'^    Would  not  the  oath  of  fealty  i 
have  been  overhasty.^    But  Israel  has  gone  to  the 

depths  of  the  Torah.     Day  and  night,  week  by  : 

week,  month  after  month,  he  has  found  precious  ] 

pearls    in    its    immeasurable    depths.     As    they  ] 

worthily  celebrated  the  finding  of  this  treasure,  | 

so  six  months  later  they  rejoiced  at  the  knowledge  \ 

of  its  worth.  1 


IV 

THE    HIGHEST    SERVICE 


AVING  completed  our  introductory  sur- 
vey and  considered  the  foundations  of 
Judaism,  we  will  now  discuss  specifically 
the  Ethics  of  Judaism.  To  this,  the 
maxim  of  Antigonos  of  Socho  will  serve 
as  a  fitting  prelude: 

"Be  not  like  servants  who  serve  their  master 
for  the  sake  of  receiving  a  reward;  ^^  but  be  like 
servants  who  serve  their  master  without  expec- 
tation of  receiving  a  reward;  and  let  the  fear  of 
heaven  be  upon  you." 

In  Aboth  d^ Rabbi  Nathan,  a  tradition  is  pre- 
served, that  two  of  the  pupils  of  Antigonos,  er- 
roneously concluding  from  these  words  of  his, 
that  he  did  not  believe  in  future  rewards  and 
punishments,  embodied  this  belief  in  their  own 
teaching.  Hence  arose  the  two  heretical  sects, 
the  Sadducees  and  the  Boethusians — from  Zadok 
and  Boethos,  the  respective  names  of  those  dis- 
ciples. These  two  sects  played  a  great  political 
part  at  the  time  of  the  second  temple  and  estab- 

31 


32  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

lished  a  peculiar  religious  system,  characterised 
by  a  denial  of  the  doctrine  of  Reward  and 
Punishment. 

Turning  from  this  historical  view,  the  question 
suggests  itself:  What  did  Antigonos  desire  to 
convey  by  his  maxim? — ^for  future  reward  is 
certainly  implied  in  it.  This  world  has  too  much 
of  inequality,  too  much  seeming  injustice,  for  us 
not  to  assume  that  there  must  come  a  time — if 
not  now,  then  in  the  hereafter — when  these 
inequalities  will  be  adjusted  and  this  injustice  be 
redressed.  In  the  thirteen  Articles  of  Faith  of 
Maimonides,  which  Joseph  Albo  reduced  to  three, 
the  acceptance  of  the  principle  of  mm  ")DK^ — 
of  God's  reconciling  Justice — is  unquestioned. 
Let  us  be  just  to  ourselves.  The  best  among  us 
needs  this  hope.  It  reconciles  us  to  self-sacrifice 
here  on  earth,  because  we  feel  in  our  hearts  that 
some  day,  Dlti^pl  XO^Vl,  "in  the  kingdom  of 
truth,"  we  shall  have  our  reward.  What  a  God 
would  that  be  who  does  not  call  individuals 
and  nations  to  account  for  the  injustice  and 
the  violence  which  they  have  committed  in 
this  world!  In  the  words  of  the  Talmud:  "Who 
can  imagine  that  God  will  not  make  Truth  and 
Justice  prevail.f^"  ^^  This  divine  justice,  at  some 
time  to  be  executed,  is  the  very  foundation  of 
our    faith.     How,    then,    could    Antigonos    have 


The  Highest  Service  33 

declared  that  God  should  be  served  without 
hope  of  reward?  I  believe  that  this  difficulty 
can  be  solved. 

Maimonides  in  his  Yad  ha-hazakah  expounds 
the  two  motives  from  which  God  may  be  served. 
The  lower  motive  he  designates  as  r]tfr]'>Ki  mny 
— "the  service  of  God  from  fear."  The  higher 
motive  is  nnnxD  mny — "the  service  of  God 
from  love."  Job's  piety  was  of  the  former 
kind.  As  Satan  suggested:  "Doth  Job  fear 
God  for  nought.'^  Hast  Thou  not  made  a  hedge 
about  him,  and  about  his  house,  about  all 
that  he  hath  on  every  side.  .  .  .  But  put  forth 
Thy  hand  now,  and  destroy  all  that  he  hath; 
he  will  renounce  Thee  to  Thy  face."  (Job  i, 
9-11.)  Subsequent  events  proved  the  truth  of 
the  charge.  Though  at  first  he  stood  steadfast 
under  the  divine  dispensations,  Job  soon  raised 
his  voice  blasphemously  against  God. 

This  kind  of  piety  may  be  called  slavish  fear 
of  retribution.  This  fear  is  not  a  reverential 
awe — the  slave  is  not  amenable  to  such  an  emo- 
tion. He  measures  his  service  by  the  standard  of 
reward  and  punishment. 

Abraham  stands  on  a  far  higher  plane.  He, 
the  sorely-tried,  childless  patriarch,  is  promised 
that  his  descendants  shall  be  as  numerous  as 
the   stars   in  heaven.     But  how   could   this   be. 


34  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

seeing  that  he  was  already  ninety-nine  years  old 
and  childless?  And  yet  be  believed  in  God  and 
deemed  his  trust  his  greatest  virtue.  (Gen.  xv,  6.) 
npi'^  "1^  n>nK^n^i  'nn  v^i^n) .  He  served  God  from 
pure  love.  He  loved  God  as  a  child  loves  its 
father.  His  love  was  not  that  of  slavish  fear. 
Only  one  excels  this  man  of  faith,  who  from 
love  of  God  was  willing  to  sacrifice  what 
was  dearest  to  him — his  only  son.  That  man 
was  Moses,  who  brought  a  still  greater  sacrifice. 
Not  because  he  died  for  his  people,  but  because 
he  lived  for  them.  His  courage  to  live  was  the 
bravest  sacrifice. 

To  lay  down  one's  life  for  a  great  idea  is  by  no 
means  as  noble  a  thing  as  to  live  for  it,  in  the  face 
of  deprivation,  calumny  and  apparent  failure. 
The  founder  of  Christianity,  the  daughter  of  Juda- 
ism, became  great  only  through  his  death.  Moses 
became  great  through  his  life,  through  his  unre- 
mitting effort  to  develop  a  nation  of  slaves  into  a 
nation  of  moral  men.  His  example,  which  en- 
abled his  people,  despite  a  world  of  adversaries, 
torn  from  its  national  soil,  to  maintain  itself  by 
the  strength  of  the  religious  idea,  exercised  the 
greatest  influence  on  the  development  of  humanity. 
And  how  did  Moses  teach  the  people  the  love  of 
the  religious  idea.^  His  final  exhortation  to  them 
furnishes  the  answer.     "And  now,  Israel,  what 


The  Highest  Service  35 

doth  the  Lord,  thy  God,  require  of  thee  but  to 
fear  Him,  to  walk  in  all  His  ways,  to  love  him 
and  to  serve  Him  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all 
thy  soul."     (Deut.  x,  12.) 

But  it  may  be  asked:  Is  not  too  much  here 
required?  Can  more  be  demanded  than  the  fear 
and  love  of  God  with  entire  heart  and  soul.f^ 
The  question  already  suggested  itself  to  our 
Talmudists,  who  asked:  xn^^D  d^dk^  n«l>  ItDK 
?  K\-i  «nitDlT — "Is  the  fear  of  God  so  small  a 
matter,  that  Moses  seems  to  take  it  as  a 
matter  of  course?" — "What  doth  the  Lord 
require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  him?"  They 
answer:  K^n  xnnmr  «n?"'o  nt^'o  ^2:^  .PK  —  "  Yes," 
in  the  eyes  of  Moses,  the  fear  of  God  was  an  easy 
matter."  20 

I  must  admit  that  the  answer  at  first  sight 
seems  unsatisfactory.  We  may  ask  here  in 
Talmudic  phrase:  ?  i<n>o:i  norD  «d^x;  ^d  itD« — "Is 
the  whole  world  composed  of  learned  men?" 
Is  all  Israel  composed  of  spiritual  masters  like 
Moses?  If  the  fear  of  God  was  so  easy  a  matter 
to  Moses,  which  he  was  justified  in  requiring  of 
his  people,  could  every  one  of  them  aspire  to 
his  high  level  of  spiritual  culture  and  his  deep 
inner  faith? 

But  after  what  has  been  said,  the  difficulty  is 
easily  solved.     The  lower  grade  of  divine  service — 


36  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

slavish  fear,  at  least,  could  be  expected  of  every 
one.  Even  the  lowest  among  the  people,  who  had 
heard  God's  voice  and  seen  His  wonders,  must  have 
felt  the  primitive  fear,  the  servile  awe  which 
slaves  entertain  for  their  masters.  Even  the 
dullest  of  the  people  must  have  perceived  that 
transgression  of  the  divine  commands  brought 
punishment  in  its  train.  How,  then,  could  man 
dare  to  disobey  the  commands  of  his  God  and  not 
fear  His  retribution  .^^ 

Hence  Moses  said:  "What  less  can  the  Lord, 
your  God,  require  of  you,  than  to  fear  Him.^ 
This  answers  completely  the  question  of  the 
Talmud:  "Is  the  fear  of  God  so  small  a  matter.^" 
In  the  eyes  of  Moses,  the  lower  grade  of  divine 
service  is  indeed  an  easy  matter.  So  much 
everyone  must  feel,  as  well  as  his  duty  to  walk  in 
the  ways  of  God. 

But  the  thinking  Israelite,  seeking  to  emulate 
his  great  exemplar,  Moses,  will  strive  to  lift 
himself  from  the  lower  stage — the  nxi^D  mny, 
to  the  higher  stage  nant<Q  rnny ,  from  fear  to  love 
— to  love  the  Lord,  his  God,  with  all  his  heart 
and  soul,  as  the  child  loves  its  father. 

Malachi,  recalling  Moses,  nny  ntJ'D  min  nDT, 
admonishes  his  degenerate  contemporaries: 
'n  ^nr  nDxn  onxi  nr«in  D^^ryi,  "Your  eyes  have 
seen,  and  you  yourselves  say  *  Great  is  the  Lord.' 


The  Highest  Service  37 

Yet  you  do  not  conduct  yourselves  according  to 
that  consciousness."  (Mai.  i,  5.)  And  he  pro- 
ceeds: "A  son  honoreth  his  father  and  a  slave 
his  master.  If  I  am  your  father,  where  is  your 
honor  of  me?  And  if  I  am  your  master,  where  is 
your  fear  of  me.?^"    (v.  6.) 

Now  we  can  understand  the  saying  of  Antigonos : 
"Be  not  like  servants  who  serve  their  master  for 
the  sake  of  receiving  a  reward ;  but  be  like  servants 
who  serve  their  master  without  expectation  of 
receiving  a  reward;  and  let  the  fear  of  heaven  be 
upon  you."  When  will  you  serve  God  thus 
unselfishly  and  the  fear  of  heaven  be  upon  you.^ 
When  you  constantly  live  in  the  fear  of  God, 
when  you  are  dominated  by  the  thought  that  an 
all-seeing  Eye  rests  upon  you  and  the  love  of 
God  is  in  you. 

The  fear  of  retribution  may  serve  as  an  in- 
centive for  the  most  uncultured  heathen.  But 
the  fear  of  God  which  is  merely  the  fear  of  pun- 
ishment cannot  prove  effective  in  the  presence 
of  temptation.  If  only  fear  sustains  our  hope 
and  expectation  of  reward  our  virtuous  tendencies, 
when  conflict  arises  between  virtue  and  imagined 
advantage,  we  shall  be  irretrievably  lost;  and 
though  we  began  bravely,  we  shall  end  in  despair. 
Therefore,  away  with  selfish  fear  and  let  filial 
love,  as  exemplified  by  Abraham,  taught  by  Moses 


38  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

and  recalled  by  Antigonos  of  Socho,  take  its 
place  in  all  our  thinking,  feeling  and  doing. 
Then  shall  we  be,  indeed,  "children  of  the  Lord, 
our  God." 


V 
THE  LEARNED  AND  THE  POOR 

HE  following  two  sentences  from  the 
Ethics  are  intimately  connected  and  we 
therefore  treat  them  together:  the  say- 
ings, namely,  of  Jose  ben  Joezer  and 
of  Jose  ben  Johanan. 

Jose  ben  Joezer  said:  "Let  thy  house  be  a 
meeting-place  for  the  wise;  sit  amidst  the  dust 
of  their  feet,  ^^  and  drink  their  words  with  thirst." 

Jose  ben  Johanan  said:  "Let  thy  house  be 
open  wide,  and  let  the  poor  be  members  of  thy 
household." 

The  first  of  these  sayings  sets  forth  theoretical 
Judaism,  while  the  latter  propounds  practical 
Judaism. 

"Let  your  house  be  a  meeting-place  for  the 
wise" — tell  me  with  whom  you  associate  and  I 
will  tell  you  what  you  are.  The  measure  of  the 
culture  of  a  people  is  the  support  and  esteem 
it  metes  out  to  Art  and  Science.  A  people 
ranks,  among  civilised  nations,  according  as  it 
honors  its  great  men.     Hence  the  monuments  of 

39 


40  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

bronze  and  stone  which  men  have  reared  to  per- 
petuate the  memory  of  the  great. 

The  monotheistic  nation  of  the  Jews,  having 
God  as  its  highest  ethical  ideal,  never  erected  such 
memorials.  As  its  highest  ideal  defied  every 
attempt  at  material  representation  by  chisel  and 
brush,  it  was  felt  that  the  national  memorials  of 
its  great  men,  likewise,  should  not  be  perpetuated 
by  these  means.  Yet,  more  than  any  other 
nation,  did  this  people  understand  how  to  honor 
its  great  men,  for  it  honored  them  by  the  per- 
petuation of  their  thoughts  and  deeds.  Is  not 
the  memory  of  Moses  and  of  the  Maccabees  more 
truly  preserved  in  the  hearts  of  our  people  than 
they  could  have  been  preserved  by  means  of 
monuments,  however  artistically  executed?  As 
the  Talmud  well  expresses  the  truth: 

:  Dinar  in  \r\  in^ti'yD  D^pnv^  nitj'a:  v^w  p« 

"We  do  not  erect  monuments  for  our  great 
men;  their  deeds  are  their  best  memorial."  ^^ 

Our  Jewish  literature,  which  in  its  rich  content 
can  hold  its  own  with  that  of  any  nation,  owes  its 
existence  and  development  to  the  reverence  which 
the  Jewish  people  has  ever  borne  towards  its 
learned  men.  The  over-zealous  anxiety,  however, 
to  preserve  everything  that  the  Sages  ever  said, 
that   characterized   the   ancients,   has   not   been 


The  Learned  and  the  Poor  41 

without  its  disadvantages.  A  glance  at  that 
gigantic  work,  the  Talmud,  will  make  this  abun- 
dantly evident.  This  work,  which  was  more  than 
six  hundred  years  in  the  making,  embodies  the 
thoughts  and  sayings  of  men  of  the  most  varied 
degrees  of  culture.  It  has  perpetuated  some 
Haggadistic  utterances  which  might,  perhaps, 
have  better  not  been  immortalized.  Not  that 
morality  would  place  its  veto  upon  a  single  one 
of  them,  but  because  many  of  them  are  only  of 
antiquarian  interest,  whose  significance  for  the 
history  of  culture  is  doubtful,  inasmuch  as  the 
key  to  their  meaning  is  lost.  Even  at  the  present 
time,  so  strong  is  the  feeling  of  reverence  among 
the  pious  of  the  old  school,  for  the  Jewish  printed 
sheet  and  manuscript,  that  they  would  not  think 
of  putting  loose  leaves  inscribed  with  Hebrew 
letters  to  profane  uses;  and  would  rather  bury 
or  burn  the  page,  which  might  possibly  contain 
the  name  of  God,  lest  the  name  of  God  be  thereby 
profaned. 

And  as  the  products  of  Jewish  learning  were 
honored,  so  were  its  learned  men,  though  these 
never  formed  a  distinct  class  in  Israel.  The 
consciousness  of  the  people,  however,  which 
is  reflected  in  the  Talmud,  did  make  a  dis- 
tinction between  the  y^^r^  Dy  and  the  n^D^n 
DDn  — the    ignorant    and     the    learned.       The 


42  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

former    was    revered,    the    latter   looked   upon 
with  contempt. 

"He  who  does  not  rise  from  his  seat  in  the 
presence  of  a  scholar,"  says  the  Talmud,  "shows 
bad  manners."  ^^ 

"How  many  fools  there  are,  who  stand  rever- 
ently in  the  presence  of  the  dead  parchment  of 
the  Torah  and  kiss  it  as  it  is  carried  past,  but 
who  do  not  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  Jewish 
Sages,  the  living  upholders  of  the  Torah."  ^^ 

"Whoever  offends  the  honor  of  a  Jewish  Sage, 
wounds  the  honor  of  God;  but  he  who  honors  a 
Sage,  extends  hospitality  to  the  majesty  of  God."  ^^ 

This  glorification  of  learning  did  not  arise  from 
self-admiration  on  the  part  of  the  Jewish  Sages, 
but  from  the  veneration  for  Jewish  learning 
which,  they  declared,  proceeded  from  a  divine 
source.^® 

And  because  the  Jewish  Sage,  D^^PD  nxJl  tJ'in  hnj  , 
"whose  life  exemplified  his  teaching,"  (the  wise 
hypocrite  was  not  esteemed  as  a  scholar — he  was 
called  t^lDD  tPT,  "a  rebel  against  God,")  was  held 
in  highest  honor,  intercourse  with  the  learned 
was  deemed  most  desirable.  Hence  Jose  ben 
Joeser  taught:  "Let  thy  house  be  a  meeting-place 
for  the  wise;  sit  amidst  the  dust  of  their  feet, 
and  drink  their  words  with  thirst." 


The  Learned  and  the  Poor  43 

And  yet  glorification  of  Jewish  learning  and 
association  with  the  wise  embodies  only  the 
theoretical  estimation  of  Judaism.  It  is  imperfect 
unless  it  is  supplemented  by  the  practical.  This 
completion  is  supplied  by  Jose  ben  Johanan, 
in  his  saying:  "Let  thy  house  be  open  wide, 
and  let  the  poor  be  the  members  of  thy  house- 
hold"— Let  your  intercourse  be  with  the  wise, 
but  not  at  the  expense  of  the  poor.  To  them, 
as  to  the  wise,  let  your  house  be  opened  wide. 
1^  PK  n'Tin  i^^DK  nn^n  xfix  ^'?  p«  iDi«n  ^3 — "He  who 
says:  *My  only  concern  is  the  Torah,'  but  who 
does  not  act  in  accordance  with  its  humane 
behests;  who  is  a  Jew  only  in  theory;  though 
his  mouth  be  ever  so  full  of  its  praise,  has  but 
little  Torah  in  his  heart."  ^^  He  who  views  his 
Judaism  only  as  an  abstract  philosophy,  has  but  a 
narrow  conception  of  his  religion.  He,  only, 
who  lives  his  life  in  accordance  with  its  teachings 
and  the  practices  that  spring  from  them,  grasps 
it  in  its  full  meaning.  ^|  •  | 

The  ancients  have  beautifullyj^expressed^this 
truth. 

?  inyn  «p^d  ony   ;  ony  ^npj  ony  .-nin  ^qd  tnixn 
:  niVD  K^n  wrw  «^k 

"He  who  takes  hold  of  the  Torah  naked,  will 
be  buried  naked."     "What   is   meant    by    *the 


44  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

. Torah  naked '  ?  "  asks  the  Rabbi.  And  he  answers : 
"It  is  the  Torah  without  its  practical  commands. "^^ 
He  who  keeps  in  view  only  theory,  regards  the 
Torah  only  as  a  subject  for  study  and  neglects 
its  practical  commands.  In  his  hands,  the  Torah 
is  naked.  He  has  stripped  it  of  its  most  beautiful 
garment,  and  he  goes  hence  naked,  his  soul  disrobed 
of   its   finest    adornment — the    D^ltD  D^C'VDl  mvo . 

Hence  among  the  choicest  of  the  ethical  maxims 
is  that  of  Jose  ben  Johanan:  "Let  the  poor  be 
members  of  thy  household."  Does  this  mean  that 
the  beggar  shall  have  the  right  to  instal  himself 
as  a  member  of  your  household?  By  no  means. 
Its  meaning  is  evident.  Your  business  often 
compels  economy  in  your  expenditures.  Where 
do  you  begin  to  economize. ^^  Do  you  limit  the 
gratification  of  your  own  desires  .^^  No.  Your 
table  is  set  as  luxuriously  as  ever,  you  are  as  ex- 
travagant in  your  dress.  In  fact,  it  is  frequently 
the  case  that  your  outward  show  is  heightened 
to  conceal  your  impoverished  circumstances.  On 
whom  do  you  curtail  your  expenses  first?  Shall 
I  tell  you?  It  is  on  the  poor.  Therefore  did  the 
ethical  teacher  exhort  us:  "Let  the  poor  be 
members  of  thy  household." 

Let  us  view  the  other  side  of  the  picture.  Your 
business  circumstances  have  changed  for  the 
better;  prosperity  has  entered  your  house.    Your 


The  Learned  and  the  Poor  45 

Zedakah,  however,  remains  the  same;  you  are 
not  one  whit  more  liberal.  This,  according  to  the 
witty  interpretation  of  an  old  commentator,  is 
the  meaning  of  the  verse  in  the  Book  of  Psalms 
(Ps.  cxii, 3) : -ly^  niD)V  inpivi  in^nn  itJ^iyi  nn — "His 
wealth  and  riches  remain  in  his  house,  while 
his  charity  continues  ever  the  same — poor  and 
contemptible." 

The  sayings  of  Jose  ben  Joezer  and  Jose  ben 
Johanan  find  an  apt  illustration  in  the  generosity 
of  American  Judaism,  as  exemplified  by  its  liberal 
support  of  its  religious  schools.  Here  thousands 
of  our  children  receive  instruction  in  the  principles 
of  our  holy  religion,  become  acquainted  with 
Israel's  spiritual  heroes  and  are  inspired  with  the 
ambition  to  emulate  them. 


VI 
THE  TEACHER  AND  THE  FRIEND 


HE  teachings  in  the  Ethics  are,  as  a 
rule,  truths  of  experience,  whose  applica- 
bility is  not  limited  to  the  circumstances 
that  called  them  forth,  but  are  of  general 
application.  Such  is  the  maxim  of 
Joshua  ben  Perahiah: 

:  niDT  <^D^  Dn«n  ^d  m  n  ""ini  "inn  i^  n^t^  21  1'?  r\m 

"Provide  thyself  a  teacher,  get  thee  a  friend, 
and  judge  all  men  charitably." 

Whoever  is  acquainted  with  the  career  of  the 
author  of  this  maxim  will  recognise  that  it  is  the 
outcome  of  his  own  experience.  Yet,  as  we  have 
already  remarked,  it  is  of  general  applicability. 

It  is  an  incontestable  truth  that  every  one,  in 
every  sphere  of  life,  sets  up  for  himself  some  model 
after  which  to  shape  his  career.  Originality  is  a 
fine  thing — a  sure  road  to  fame;  but  originality 
has  its  limitations.  One  would  be  bold,  indeed, 
to  assert  that  self  should  always  be  its  own 
model,  that  nothing  proffered  by  another  should 

46 


The  Teacher  and  the  Friend  47 

ever  be  accepted.  He  who  would  put  this  prin- 
ciple into  practice  would  not  speak  like  others, 
eat  like  others,  nor  dress  like  others.  He  would 
expose  himself  to  the  ridicule  of  mankind  and  be 
regarded  as  eccentric. 

Certain  usages  have  been  accepted  for  the 
guidance  of  human  society.  These  rules  for 
conduct  do  not  have  to  be  constantly  investi- 
gated as  to  their  source  and  origin.  It  is  enough 
that  they  are  generally  accepted  and  that  they 
cannot  be  transgressed  with  impunity.  As  the 
Talmud  states  this  truth: 

:  inn  r)«  m>^  Dn^ny  i^p^pk^  d^oib^i  am:  lanjoa  n'?)v 

"The  world  regulates  itself  in  accordance  with 
its  customs;  the  fool  who  would  make  light  of 
these  customs,  the  world  will  call  him  to  account.*'^ 

And  if  this  is  true  in  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life, 
why  not  in  Religion?  What  would  become  of  us 
if  every  one,  in  his  own  conceit,  were  to  recognise 
only  himself  as  his  own  highest  authority  and  were 
to  attempt  to  force  his  views  upon  the  world  .^^ 
No  wise  man  acts  thus.  "The  way  of  a  fool  is 
right  in  his  own  eyes;  but  a  wise  man  hearkeneth 
unto  counsel."     (Pro v.  xii,  15.) 

In  religious  ideas,  especially,  must  the  past 
centuries  be  considered.  Here  the  opinions  of  the 
Sages,  which  have  guided,  comforted  and  strength- 


48  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

ened  our  people  throughout  their  long,  sad  dis- 
persion, should  not  be  disregarded.  If  we  would 
burn  the  bridges  behind  us  which  unite  the  present 
with  the  past,  deserting  the  beaten  paths  which 
our  fathers  have  made  for  us — pursuing  rather 
untrodden  paths,  'mid  thorns  and  brambles,  that 
lead  to  religious  chaos,  it  might  indeed  be  said  of 
us:  "There  is  a  way  which  seemeth  right  unto  a 
man;  but  the  end  of  that  way  is  death."  (Pro v. 
xiv,  12.) 

Our  religious  guide  is  the  Torah,  the  Law  of 
Moses,  interpreted  and  applied  in  the  light  of 
tradition.  But  inasmuch  as  individual  opinion 
cannot  be  valid  for  the  whole  community,  it 
behooves  individuals  and  communities  to  appoint 
only  recognised  authorities  as  teachers;  such 
men,  that  is  to  say,  as  acknowledge  belief  in 
authority,  and  who,  at  the  same  time,  with  com- 
prehension and  tact,  are  willing  to  consider  what 
may  be  permitted  in  view  of  the  exigencies  of  the 
times,  and  what  may  be  discarded,  without 
changing  the  nature  and  character  of  the  founda- 
tions of  the  faith. 

This  is  the  impression  conveyed  by  the  maxim 
of  Joshua  ben  Perahiah.  "Provide  thyself  a 
teacher" — a  teacher  recognised  by  you  as  an 
authority,  who  is  bound  by  the  moral  obligation 
and    empowered    to    meet    your    religious    needs 


The  Teacher  and  the  Friend  49 

according  to  the  circumstances  of  time  and  place. 
The  congregation  must  appoint  its  teacher  to 
labor  for  its  welfare  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
and  the  teacher  esteem  it  his  highest  privilege  to 
further  its  interests;  but  the  congregation  must 
recognise  its  obligation  to  yield  authority  to  its 
appointed  teacher,  and  to  be  guided  by  his 
teachings,  whether  they  be  difficult  or  easy.^^ 
'1D1  fc^no  ^jn  n>^  pdhioi  nmo  fc^aii^;  —  "A  rabbi's 
popularity  does  not  prove  that  he  is  faithful 
to  his  trust."  It  may  sometimes  happen  that 
a  teacher  is  beloved  by  every  one  of  his  people, 
because  he  surrenders  himself  to  the  will  of 
the  people,  permitting  the  crooked  to  pass  for 
the  straight  and  the  straight  for  the  crooked, 
just  as  the  whim  of  the  congregation  may  dictate. 
The  conscientious  teacher  will  not  swerve  from 
his  religious  convictions  to  please  the  transient 
whims  of  his  congregation.  Note,  again,  the 
words  of  Joshua  ben  Perahiah:  m  1^  r\^v 
''Provide  thyself  a  teacher";  recognise  him  as 
authority.  He  did  not  say  nn  l^  n:p  ''Purchase 
a  teacher  for  thyself."  However  large  his  salary 
may  be,  it  must  not  serve  to  purchase  his  religious 
convictions  or  to  bribe  his  conscientious  scruples. 

I  have  often  wished  that  the  times  might  be  so 
fashioned  again  that  the  Rabbi,  as  in  olden 
days,   should  receive  no  compensation.     In  the 


50  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

thirteenth  century,  it  was  necessary  to  procure  the 
permission  of  the  great  Talmudist,  R.  Meir,  of 
Rothenburg,  to  pay  a  salary  to  the  congrega- 
tional officer,  which  had  become  necessary  under 
changed  conditions.  If  our  rabbis  to-day  were, 
like  the  Levites  of  old,  unpaid  teachers,  it  were 
better,  perhaps,  not  only  for  the  financial  condition 
of  our  congregations,  but  for  their  religious  condi- 
tion as  well.  Congregations  would  no  doubt 
gladly  see  the  ancient  dictum  of  the  Talmudists 
carried  out:  Djnn  DDK  ^iK  D:nn  >jx  no  **As  God 
gave  you  the  Torah  without  price,  so  should  you, 
teachers  in  Israel,  expound  it  without  reward."  3i 
But  though  they  would  gladly  see  it,  taDT  N^D« 
^''\^  i:iD  t3»3,  "A  physician,  be  he  a  physician 
for  the  body  or  the  soul,  who  cures  without  a 
fee,  is  of  little  value."  ^^  It  is  questionable,  how- 
ever, whether  congregations  would  welcome  an 
uncompensated  Rabbi,  unless  he  were  a  Reform 
Rabbi. 

The  Sages  have  already  indicated  this  in  a 
witty  comment  which  they  made  on  the  words 
1^  l^r  t^PDI  "And  their  staff  shall  give  them 
advice"  (Hosea,  xxiv,  12.)  They  interpret  the 
words  as  if  they  read  l^  T":!^  1^  '?^\>^r\  ^D — "Only 
the  Reform  Rabbi,  who  makes  Religion  of  easy 
performance  and  who  never  makes  use  of  the  rod 
of  rebuke."  '^ 


The  Teacher  and  the  Friend  51 

The  converse  applies  in  the  case  of  the  acquisi- 
tion of  a  friend.  If  the  teacher  is  the  authority, 
the  friend  must  be  the  conscientious  counsellor. 
He  is  a  perennial  source  of  comfort,  and  no  price 
is  too  great  to  pay  for  such  an  acquisition.  There- 
fore, "Get  thee  a  friend."  Left  to  yourself,  you 
become  a  miserable  creature.  Knin^D  in  Nnnnn  ^« 
—"It  is  either  friendship  or  death."  ^4  The 
teacher  cannot  follow  your  every  footstep,  your 
friend  can.  Furthermore,  niD^^  Di«  hdit  ^Dn  ID  PN 
"One  cannot  learn  from  every  teacher."  ^^  Per- 
haps your  receptive  faculties  are  limited,  or  the 
teacher's  method  may  not  be  suited  to  you.  Your 
friend,  however,  can  always  be  relied  on;  for  he 
teaches  you  what  you  may  do,  your  enemy,  what 
you  should.  Therefore  "Get  thee  a  friend " ;  and 
having  acquired  him,  hold  him  fast  at  any  cost. 

"  Those  friends  thou  hast,  and  their  adoption  tried, 
Grapple  them  to  thy  soul  with  hoops  of  steel." 

But  all  the  aid  that  a  teacher  can  give  you  in 
matters  of  conscience,  all  the  wise  counsels  of 
your  friend  in  worldly  matters,  cannot  make 
you  happy  unless  you  are  actuated  by  feelings 
of  love  for  humanity.  Hence,  our  Rabbi  adds 
a  third  phrase  to  his  maxim:  "Judge  all  men 
charitably" — nnt  ^ID^  n  nn  .tDiDK^n  P"iV3  "There 
is  no  better  basis  of  judgment  than  Charity." 


52  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

If,  like  the  Talmudists,  you  seek  good  in  every 
man,  you  will  not  entirely  condemn  any  man. 
Even  the  most  wicked  has  not  completely  ceased 
to  be  a  child  of  God.  Many  a  one  has  become 
submerged  in  the  depths  of  sin,  because  you,  by 
your  intolerance,  have  permitted  him  to  bear  his 
burden  alone,  when  you  ought,  in  charitable 
judgment,  to  have  striven  to  restore  him  to  self- 
respect.  You,  who  beat  your  breasts  with  pride, 
boasting  of  your  innocence,  who  knows  how  many 
faults  another  could  find  in  you.^  "Everyone," 
says  a  great  thinker,  "carries  his  burden  of  sin 
on  his  back;  he  himself  does  not  see  it,  but  his 
neighbor,  who  follows  behind  him,  does  see  it." 
Therefore  our  Talmudists  urge:  PJT  DIDT  ti3?  tin 
ni3T  «^D^  iniN>  "He  who  judges  others  charitably 
will  himself  charitably  be  judged."  ^^ 

Let  us  act  in  the  spirit  of  that  Talmudic  Sage 
who  deemed  his  long  life  as  a  reward  from  God, 
for  never  having  despised  any  man  or  closed  his 
eyes  in  sleep  without  forgiving  his  enemy.^^ 
— '•ntsD  '?v  nnn  n^^p  n^y  n^. 

Only  with  a  teacher  in  authority  over  us,  a 
friend  beside  us  and  charity  and  humanity  in  our 
hearts,  can  we  tread  the  arduous  path  of  life,  in 
peace  of  soul,  "finding  grace  and  good  regard 
in  the  sight  of  God  and  man,"  a  blessing  to 
Israel  and  to  all  mankind. 


VII 
THE  WICKED  NEIGHBOR 


HERE  is  no  rule  without  exception.  Just 
as  it  is  impossible  to  view  a  landscape 
in  its  entirety  from  a  single  point  of 
view,  so  it  is  impossible  in  the  sphere  of 
ethics  to  concentrate  all  phases  of  a 
subject  into  a  single  illustration.  "The  exception 
proves  the  rule,"  we  are  taught;  and  we  feel  the 
truth  of  this,  as  we  place  in  juxtaposition  the 
maxim  in  the  Mishnah  which  we  last  discussed, 
and  the  one  which  immediately  follows,  and  which 
we  will  now  proceed  to  consider. 

In  our  last  discourse  we  saw  the  beauty  of 
the  maxim:  "Judge  every  man  charitably."  In 
the  maxim  that  follows  we  meet  with  an  apparent 
exception : 

"Keep  thee  far  from  a  bad  neighbor,  associate 
not  with  the  wicked,  and  abandon  not  the  belief 
in  retribution." 

There  are  limits  to  tolerance  and  even  to 
humanity.     They  are  not  to  be  practised  under 

63 


54  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

all  circumstances.  We  may  be  inspired  by  the 
noblest  motives,  but  how  will  they  help  us  if  they 
are  rendered  futile  by  wicked  neighbor  or  evil 
companion?  We  may  be  imbued  with  the  superla- 
tive value  of  the  inalienable,  sacred  possessions  of 
freedom  and  human  rights,  but  what  can  we 
accomplish  if  we  cannot  follow  the  paths  directed 
by  our  hearts,  and  tyranny,  with  unrighteous 
violence,  rudely  snatches  the  unfurled  banner  of 
our  ideals  from  our  hands  and  tramples  it  under 
foot? 

The  same  holds  true  of  our  religious  inspira- 
tions. We  have,  for  example,  enjoyed  a  religious 
training  and  arrange  our  households  according  to 
the  ritual  ordinances.  We  observe  our  parents 
and  our  grand-parents  living  in  the  same  sphere 
of  ideas,  and  we  note  that  they  live  happily  and 
contentedly  under  the  restraints  dictated  by 
Religion.  We  emulate  their  example.  On  Friday 
nights  we  assemble  the  children  around  our 
tables  to  greet  the  Sabbath  angels  who  seek  out 
all  those  who  consecrate  the  holy  day.  Our 
children  sing  the  prayers  of  thanks  in  Hebrew 
chorus  and  response.  We  converse  with  the 
younger  generation  on  religious  topics,  rehearse  the 
story  of  Israel's  glorious  carreer  and  awaken 
their  enthusiasm  for  Israel's  sorrows  and  joys.  We 
are  happy  in  the  religious  atmosphere  that  pre- 


The  Wicked  Neighbor  55 

vails,  when  a  knock  is  heard  at  the  door  and  a 
neighbor  enters. 

"I  hope  I  don't  intrude,"  he  says.  Etiquette 
demands  the  answer:  "By  no  means.  Come  in 
and  take  a  seat."  "I  was  just  talking  to  the 
children,"  the  father  continues,  "about  the  benefi- 
cent influence  of  the  Sabbath;  how  it  sustained 
the  spirits  of  our  fathers  in  the  olden  days  and 
preserved  the  purity  of  the  home  life;  how  the 
father,  toiling  during  the  week,  when  Friday  night 
came  around,  would  betake  himself  to  the  Syna- 
gogue and,  returning  home,  would  find  wife  and 
children  awaiting  his  presence  and  blessing.  In 
the  peace  and  happiness  that  reigned  in  the  house- 
hold, the  sordid  cares  of  the  week  were  forgotten, 
and  FAITH  and  hope  again  became  supreme." 

"How  can  you  be  so  old-fashioned,"  interposes 
the  neighbor.  "I  thought  that  we  had  outgrown 
all  such  things.  Freedom  is  the  watchword 
of  the  times.  I  see  no  use  in  keeping  up  these 
old-time  ceremonies — the  very  preachers  from  their 
pulpits  are  holding  them  up  to  ridicule.  Let  me 
tell  you  a  good  joke: 

"A  Reformer  recently  met  a  Conservative. 
*Are  you  still  alive .'^^  he  asked. 

That  is  a  funny  question,'  said  the  Conserva- 
tive, *Why  do  you  ask?' 

"*  Because,'  answered  the  Reformer,  *in  your 


5Q  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

mode  of  life  you  belong  to  the  thirteenth  century 
and  not  to  our  modern  times.  That  is  why  I  am 
surprised  that  you  are  still  ahve.' " 

Thus  spoke  the  neighbor,  and  the  children 
laughed  aloud,  while  the  father's  brow  was 
wrinkled  with  pain. 

"Keep  thee  far  from  a  bad  neighbor,  associate 
not  with  godless  scoffers — do  not  imagine  that 
you  can  escape  retribution."  Retribution  will 
come  quickly  enough.  The  faith  of  your  chil- 
dren will  be  quickly  poisoned  by  the  bad  neigh- 
bor, who  mocks  at  the  piety  of  others.  They  will 
begin  to  be  ashamed  of  their  ancestral  religion. 
One  by  one  they  will  abandon  our  distinctive 
practices  and  customs;  and  the  parents,  impressed 
by  their  glowing  accounts  of  Progress  and  the 
saving  power  of  Reform  will,  in  due  course,  follow 
their  example.  To  such  a  family,  the  prophet's 
words  apply:  "The  son  despiseth  his  father,  the 
daughter  riseth  up  against  her  mother;  a  man's 
enemies  are  the  members  of  his  own  family." 
(Micah,  vii,  6.) 

Therefore,  "Keep  thee  far  from  a  bad  neigh- 
bor." Keep  aloof  from  him  who  would  overshadow 
the  purity  of  your  soul  with  the  darkness  of  his 
words,  who  would  disturb  the  peace  of  your  spirit 
with  distracting  doubt.  You  remember  the 
Talmudic  proverb:    )::i^^  ^ixi  V^^i*?  nx    "Woe   un- 


The  WickedlNeighbor  57 

to  the  reprobate,  and  woe  unto  his  neighbor."  ^® 
In  the  company  of  a  reprobate,  the  most  upright 
and  pious  will  be  led  astray.  As  the  opening 
verse  of  the  Book  of  Psalms  teaches:  "Happy 
is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the 
wicked,  nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners,  nor 
sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful."  "This 
means,"  say  the  Sages,  "let  a  man  go  where 
wicked  people  are  assembled;  at  first,  he  will 
stand  and  listen,  and  in  the  end  will  seat  himself 
among  them." 

But  not  only  in  our  religious  relations,  but  in 
our  political  relations  as  well,  must  we  observe 
the  admonition:  "Keep  thee  far  from  a  bad 
neighbor,  associate  not  with  the  wicked,  and 
abandon  not  the  belief  in  retribution."  Contact 
with  an  evil  neighbor  is  equally  dangerous  in  both 
of  these  spheres.  The  history  of  the  struggle 
for  American  Independence  affords  a  splendid 
illustration.*  It  is  a  familiar  story,  that  deserves 
to  be  inscribed  in  letters  of  gold  in  the  annals  of 
our  country. 

The  story  takes  us  back  a  hundred  and  nine 
years.  It  is  a  remarkable  tale  of  oppression  and 
persecution.  No  one  could  write  a  letter  here 
without  being  subjected  to  the  provisions  of  the 
infamous  Stamp  Act.     The  housewife  could  not 

*  Preached  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1885. 


58  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

serve  a  cup  of  tea  unless  she  paid  a  tax  on  it. 
Representations  against  these  iniquitous  taxes 
having  been  made  and  rejected,  the  liberty -loving 
people  of  America  began  the  desperate  struggle 
against  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  British,  to 
cast  off  the  tyrannous  yoke  of  England  forever. 
After  numerous  skirmishes,  a  battle  was  fought  at 
Lexington,  on  April  18,  1775,  and  thanks  to  the 
energy,  the  lofty  wisdom  and  splendid  generalship 
of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  George  Washington, 
the  English  were  beaten  in  the  field  as  early  as 
March  of  the  following  year,  though  many 
battles  had  yet  to  be  won,  and  eight  years 
elapsed  before  the  country  was  finally  rid  of  "the 
wicked  neighbor,"  and  the  power  of  the  tyrant 
broken. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1776,  just  a  hundred 
and  nine  years  ago  to-day,  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  solemnly  pronounced  by  the 
Continental  Congress.  The  mxcmorable  princi- 
ples of  freedom  were  enunciated  in  the  main,  in 
the  following  words : 

"That  all  men  are  created  equal;  that  all  have 
a  natural  right  to  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  hap- 
piness; that  human  governments  are  instituted 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  securing  the  welfare  of  the 
people;  that  the  people  have  a  natural  right  to 
change  their  government  whenever  it  becomes 
destructive  of  liberty — and  that,   therefore,   the 


The  Wicked  Neighbor  59 

United  Colonies  of  America  are,  and  of  right  ought 
to  be,  free  and  independent  States." 

These  principles  of  inalienable  human  rights, 
in  defence  of  which  America's  brave  sons  fought 
at  Lexington,  should  be  celebrated  in  this  Temple, 
on  the  national  holiday.  Not  only  because  we 
are  patriots,  but  because  we  are  Jews.  The 
principles  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
are  biblical  principles,  that  have  been  carried 
to  victory  in  more  than  one  century.  Does  not 
the  Law  of  Moses  teach  from  the  very  beginning 
that  man  was  created  in  the  image  of  God  and 
that  he  must  be  free.^^  (Gen.  1,  27.)  Does  not 
the  Law  of  Moses  teach:  "One  law  shall  ye 
have;  for  the  stranger  as  for  the  home-born,  for 
I  am  the  Lord,  your  God."  (Lev.  xxiv,  22.) 
As  God  is  the  Father  of  us  all,  so  has  each  of  us 
the  natural  right  to  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness.  He  who  trespasses  upon  this  natural 
right,  transgresses  the  will  of  God. 

Whenever,  therefore,  the  tyrannical  kings  of 
Israel  oppressed  the  people,  and  by  so  doing  im- 
paired the  national  fortunes,  God  sent  men  gifted 
with  burning  eloquence,  in  the  persons  of  the 
Prophets  who,  with  the  keen-edged  sword  of 
withering  speech,  prepared  the  downfall  of 
tyranny.  And  obversely,  whenever  a  just 
government  wielded  the  scepter  of  Judah,  God 


60  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

declared  His  approval  by  the  mouth  of  these 
same  prophets.  Thus  Isaiah  calls  the  pious 
Hezekiah  Di^tJ'-itJ^  nyinx  "iu:i  ^x  ryv  «^d  (Is.  ix,  5.) 
This  name  of  the  prophet  seems  coined  for  that 
"wonderful  counsellor,"  that  "hero  of  God"  who 
was  a  "constant  father  to  his  country,"  and  who 
may  be  termed  its  "prince  of  peace" — George 
Washington — who  based  the  pillars  of  the  United 
States  upon  Right,  Justice  and  Liberty,  and  gave 
the  impulse  for  its  further  development  and  con- 
stant growth. 

We  see,  then,  that  the  ideas  of  liberty  have 
flowed  from  the  same  source  as  the  principles  of 
Religion — from  the  will  of  God.  The  faithful 
observer  of  God's  commands  is  supremely  quali- 
fied to  be  a  good  patriot.  We  hail  with  true  joy, 
also,  the  fact  that  in  this  land  of  liberty  fidelity 
to  Religion,  in  the  various  denominations,  keeps 
pace  with  glowing  patriotism. 

May  we,  of  the  house  of  Israel,  who  do  not 
fall  behind  our  neighbors  in  patriotic  feeling  and 
activity,  emulate  them  in  faith  and  in  Religion! 
With  hearts  full  of  faith  and  aglow  with  patriotic 
impulse,  let  us  cherish  the  legacy  which  George 
Washington  bequeathed  to  us,  and  may  the 
Almighty  strengthen  us  in  our  endeavor! 


VIII 
BE  GUARDED  IN  TEACHING 

HREE  of  our  ethical  maxims  stand  in 
intimate  connection:  those,  namely,  of 
Judah  ben  Tabai,  Simeon  ben  Shatah, 
and  Abtalion. 


Judah  ben  Tabai  taught:  "As  judge,  act  not 
the  counsel's  part.  When  the  parties  to  a  suit 
are  standing  before  thee,  regard  them  both  as 
guilty;  but  when  they  have  departed  from  thy 
presence,  having  given  thy  verdict  and  they 
having  acquiesced  in  it,  regard  them  both  as 
innocent." 

Simeon  ben  Shatah  adds:  "Examine  the 
witnesses  thoroughly,  and  be  guarded  in  thy 
words,  lest  through  them  they  may  be  led  to 
falsify." 

Abtalion  voices  a  like  caution:  "Ye  Sages,  be 
heedful  of  your  words,  lest  ye  be  exiled  to  a  place 
of  evil  waters,  and  your  pupils,  who  follow  you, 
drink  of  these  waters  and  die,  and  the  name  of 
God  be  thereby  profaned." 

These  golden  teachings  apply  not  only  to  the 
halls  of  Justice,  for  which  they  were  first  enunci- 
ated, but  are  of  universal  application — to  the 
merchant  in  his  business,  the  father  in  his  house- 

61 


62  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

hold,  the  teacher  in  his  vocation  and  the  judge 
in  the  conduct  of  his  office.  They  are  appHcable, 
too,  in  the  sphere  of  Religion,  and  to  this  sphere 
we  will  restrict  our  consideration  to-day.  Let 
us,  then,  enter  the  house  of  God,  view  the  audi- 
ence, listen  to  the  sermons,  and  recall  to  preachers 
and  hearers  alike  the  words  of  our  three  ethical 
teachers. 

Men  and  women  who  attend  the  Synagogue 
and  Temple  regularly  do  so  primarily,  to  satisfy 
the  needs  of  their  souls.  But  as  a  matter  of 
practical  experience,  what  attitude  do  our  con- 
gregants assume  towards  the  teaching  there  im- 
parted .^^  In  what  spirit  do  they  desire  to  have 
their  spiritual  needs  satisfied.?  Some  desire  to  be 
entertained  by  apt  anecdotes,  others  by  explana- 
tions of  Holy  Writ,  others  wish  to  listen  to  spirited 
rebukes  of  the  degenerate  tendencies  of  the  times, 
while  some — and  their  number  is  not  inconsider- 
able— caring  little  for  edification  or  instruction, 
crave  merely  entertainment  for  their  ears.  They 
go  the  rounds  from  one  Synagogue  to  another, 
to  see  which  pleases  them  best,  and  which  is  most 
liberal  in  thought. 

Various,  then,  as  are  the  motives  which  bring 
them  to  the  Synagogue,  what  course  shall  the 
preacher  pursue,  that  he  may  utilise  the  hours  to 
best   advantage.?     The  three  maxims  which  we 


Be  Guarded  in  Teaching  63 

have  quoted  furnish  wholesome  advice  to  the 
preacher:  "As  judge,  act  not  the  counsel's  part" 
— "Be  not  a  partisan  judge."  "Do  not  act  as  an 
advocate  for  one  party  or  the  other,  but  seek 
justice  for  both,  as  if  both  were  guilty.  And  when 
they  are  gone,  having  rendered  your  decision, 
consider  them  both  as  reconciled." 

Now,  who  are  the  two  parties  who  to-day  present 
themselves  for  trial  before  the  righteous  Judge — 
in  our  case,  the  upright  Rabbi,  and  who,  after 
judgment  has  been  rendered,  are  to  be  treated 
with  tolerance?  They  are  reform  and  ortho- 
doxy. To  approach  the  trial  with  prejudice, 
with  partisanship,  would  be  to  sin  against  Truth. 

"The  just  judge  is  he  who  judges  truth  according 
to  the  truth."  ^^  And  what  is  meant  by  the 
phrase  "judging  truth  according  to  the  truth.?" 
Let  me  illustrate  this  by  an  example:  the  ques- 
tion of  validity  of  the  Law  of  Moses  and  its  rab- 
binical interpretation. 

If  a  Rabbi  wished  to  express  himself  according  to 
the  tastes  and  religious  views  of  his  hearers,  he 
must  know  every  one  of  them;  he  must  have 
studied  the  mode  of  life  of  every  one  of  them; 
he  must  have  searched  the  thoughts  and  senti- 
ments of  every  one  of  them.     Were  he  possessed 


64  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

of  this  superhuman  knowledge  and  treated  his 
theme  as  his  audience  demanded,  he  would  not  be 
"judging  truth  according  to  the  truth,"  but  in 
accordance  with  the  ascertained  wishes  of  his 
hearers.  As  often  as  their  views  and  tastes 
changed,  so  often  would  his  views  change.  There 
would  be  no  absolute  truth  for  him,  truth  which 
is  his  from  personal  conviction.  Truth  would  be 
forced  upon  him,  by  others,  from  without.  The 
truth  which  the  Rabbi  possesses  must  come  from 
himself,  and  from  within;  from  the  Divine  Book, 
from  his  thorough  study  of  the  development  of 
Judaism.  He  cannot  acquire  it  agreeably  to  the 
fluctuating  principles  of  changing  fashion. 

Hence  the  Rabbi  should  observe  the  behest: 
"Be  not  the  advocate  of  your  listeners."  Dis- 
pense your  teachings,  not  as  your  hearers  wish,  but 
as  your  convictions  dictate.  Mosaic-rabbinical 
Law,  which  has  preserved  Judaism  through  the 
centuries,  cannot,  in  our  day,  have  degenerated 
into  something  of  a  base  character.  If,  in  the 
opinion  of  some  of  our  preachers  and  laymen, 
it  has  thus  degenerated,  this  degeneration  is 
not  to  be  charged  to  the  Law  but  to  its  ex- 
pounders. DDO  «in  PI  im  «^  O — "For  this  Law 
is  no  vain  thing  for  you,"  said  Moses;  and  the 
Talmud  aptly  comments  on  the  words:  P*i  DK 
D3D    .Kin,  "If  it  becomes  a  vain  thing,  it  is  only 


Be  Guarded  in  Teaching  65 

through  yourselves,  through  your  own  empti- 
ness."^°  No  Rabbi,  worthy  of  the  name,  would 
willingly  assume  the  r61e  of  a  Ham  uncovering  the 
nakedness  of  his  father.  If  he  finds  aught  in  his 
religion  that  is  faulty,  he  will  reverently  cover  it 
and  not  expose  it  to  the  world.  Perhaps  what  he 
deems  faulty  is  not  faulty  after  all ! 

Not  every  suggestion  which  you  set  up  as 
revealed  truth  to-day  and  to-morrow  pronounce 
as  error,  not  every  whim  of  fashion,  for  the 
defence  of  which  you  are  to-day  applauded  and 
to-morrow  stoned,  should  determine  your  judg- 
ment and  the  nature  of  your  teachings.  "Scrutin- 
ize carefully  the  testimony  of  the  witnesses."  Ex- 
amine those  who  lived  before  you — the  thinkers, 
sages  and  heroes  of  the  faith,  who  cheerfully 
bore  persecution  and  misery  for  their  religion  and 
in  the  cause  of  which  they  surrendered  life  itself. 
And  you,  more  fortunate  son  of  happier  times,  in  a 
country  of  liberty,  acknowledging  the  beautiful 
religion  of  your  fathers — you  accept  no  witnesses, 
you  listen  to  no  voice  but  your  own,  and  would 
enunciate  your  teachings  as  those  of  Judaism! 
"Weigh  carefully  your  words,  lest  the  untutored 
be  led  into  error  through  your  teachings." 

This  warning  is  particularly  addressed  to  the 
teachers  in  Israel.  Because  of  the  differences  of 
intelligence  and  education  in  the  members  of  our 


66  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

congregations,  how  often  are  our  plainest  words 
misunderstood?  How  often  are  not  motives 
attributed  to  the  preacher,  undreamed  of  by  him; 
and  personal  allusions  sought  and  found  which 
he  never  had  in  mind?  How  much  more  likely 
is  this  to  be  the  case,  when  his  message  is  ambigu- 
ous and  open  to  misconstruction.  "Ye  Sages,  be 
heedful  of  your  words,  lest  ye  be  exiled  to  a  place 
of  evil  waters,  and  your  pupils  who  follow  you, 
drink  of  these  waters  and  die,  and  the  name  of 
God  be  thereby  profaned." 

The  word  of  God,  "like  the  waters  of  Shiloah 
that  go  softly,"  (Is.  viii,  6.)  should  lead  us  gently, 
refresh  us  like  water  from  the  bubbling  spring. 
It  should  not  be  like  a  turbid  stream,  filled  with 
poisonous  weeds.  Distorted  teachings  and  heret- 
ical doctrines  are  poisonous  elements  that  will  ruin 
the  strongest  body.  The  young,  eager  to  learn, 
may  easily  become  inoculated  by  these  poisonous 
teachings,  and  die — be  lost  to  Judaism  forever. 

"Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the 
water,"  says  the  prophet.  (Is.  Iv,  1.)  Come, 
listen  to  the  word  of  God. 

"Why,"  ask  the  Sages,  "is  the  word  of  God  com- 
pared to  water?"     And  they  answer: 

:  T6t^\i^  inync^  ^di  n^«  pD^^-^nD  pk  niin 
"  As  water  flows  from  the  heights   and  seeks 


Be  Guarded  in  Teaching  67 

the  lowly  places,  so  does  the  word  of  God  find  a 
resting-place  in  him  only,  who  is  of  a  lowly  spirit.  "^^ 

He  who,  conscious  of  his  own  infallibility, 
reviles  the  past,  describes  the  shining  lights  of 
Israel  as  men  of  darkness,  holds  up  to  public 
ridicule  the  laws  which  have  been  piously  observed 
through  the  centuries — such  a  one  leads  his  pupils 
to  "the  evil  waters."  And  when,  to  make  matters 
worse,  such  teachings  are  set  forth  in  the  public 
prints,  there  is  a  profanation  of  God's  holy  name. 
No  good  Jew  would  commit  such  sacrilege. 

Our  Sages  consider  'Hillul  Hashem  the  greatest 
of  all  sins.  They  have  left  us  many  a  weighty 
word  that  embodies  their  views : 

x^DnnDi  \^"^  ^^n>  ^Ki  rv  niny^tj^  2^:^)^^  "Rather 
idolatry  than  public  profanation  of  the  name 
of  God."  42 

^"2^  ^^n>  ^Ki  niinn  id  nnx  nix  ipvt)^  ntDio  "Rather 
remove  a  letter  from  the  Torah,  than  profane 
the  name  of  God."  ^^ 

:«>Dn")D3  \i^"^  ^^nn^  ^xi  nnon  nn^ny  iny^K^  nii<'? )'?  mj 
"It  were  better  that  a  man  should  sin  in  secret 
than  publicly  to  profane  the  name  of  God."  ^^ 

:  m^  inD  vp^)n  pn  n^n  ^i^n  ^^\i^  dipd  ^d  "Wher- 
ever there  is  'Hillul  Hashem,  we  do  not  honor  a 
man  as  Rabbi."  ^^ 

Obversely,  it  may  be  stated,  the  Rabbi  was 
highly  esteemed,  who  strove  to  reconcile  the  views 


68  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

brought  about  by  changed  conditions  with  the 
teachings  of  the  Sages;  for  thus,  it  was  declared, 
would  the  name  of  God  be  sanctified.  It  was  said 
of  a  great  teacher  of  the  Mishnah:  nnt<  5>n3  DDn 
D^»3n  nm  m'>'>p2^,  "You  are  a  great  Sage,  for 
you  have  confirmed  the  teachings  of  the  Sages 
who  preceded  you."  ^^ 

Such  scholars  may  we  be !  May  it  be  our  ambi- 
tion to  strengthen,  not  to  abolish;  to  remove  lax 
religious  views  and  to  preserve  the  ancient  Jewish 
spirit.  I  direct  this  exhortation  not  to  any 
individual,  but  to  all — myself  included.  Would 
that  we  all,  Rabbis  and  laymen  alike,  might 
heed  the  words  of  the  great  Maimonides : 

"  The  whole  house  of  Israel  is  obligated  to  honor 
the  name  of  God,  as  it  is  said,  '  I  will  be  honored 
in  the  midst  of  the  children  of  Israel.'  "^^ 

If  we  discuss  our  religious  affairs  outside  and 
give  our  enemies  occasion  for  malignant  joy,  we 
bring  dishonor  on  God's  name.  Let  us  fight  out 
all  mooted  points  among  ourselves,  and  when 
the  contesting  parties  have  departed,  let  us  con- 
sider them  as  reconciled,  and  not  give  cause  for 
hatred  from  without.  In  the  halls  of  learning, 
warfare — in  life,  peace.  Thus  was  it  in  the  days  of 
Hillel  and  Shammai.     So  may  it  be  with  us ! 


IX 

EXPIATE  THE  SINS  OF  YOUTH 

F    unquestionable    worth,    and    especially 
in  this  country,  is  the  maxim  of  Shemaiah : 

"Love  work,  hate  lordship,  and  seek  not 
intimacy  with  the  ruling  power." 

Nowhere  is  this  maxim  so  well  observed  as 
it  is  in  America.  Labor  is  the  watchword  of  all 
classes.  Here,  a  man  is  "worth"  only  as  much 
as  his  labor,  be  it  with  hand  or  brain,  hammer 
or  shovel  or  axe,  or  with  pen,  chisel  or  brush. 
The  American  citizen,  too,  shuns  "lordship" — 
the  possession  of  power.  Jew  and  non-Jew  alike 
are  imbued  with  the  principle  of  equality.  Here, 
class  distinctions  have  long  been  extinct. 

The  religion  of  the  American  is  Labor.  Here, 
D^DtJ'  Ki^D  Avy^i  n^njn  ^na  "The  honest  laborer, 
who  eats  the  fruit  of  the  labor  of  his  hands,  is  of 
more  consequence  than  the  mere  man  of  piety."  ^^ 


70  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

"Flay  a  carcase  in  the  street  and  take  a  wage 
for  it,  and  do  not  say  I  am  a  great  man  and 
such  work  is  beneath  me"  ^^ — that  well-known 
maxim  of  the  Rabbis  finds  most  general  accept- 
ance: 

«JN  «jnD  Ko^n  «^i   .Kn:i«  'p^pm  ^pwi  j^d^uj  dik^q 

And  with  his  belief  in  the  religion  of  Labor 
goes  hand  in  hand  his  belief  in  the  principle  of 
Equality.  Here,  ofiices  of  honor  and  trust  are 
not  the  exclusive  possession  of  any  one  class — 
they  belong  to  every  one  who  proves  himself 
worthy  of  them.  Thus  has  the  maxim  of  the 
ancient  Mishnaic  teacher  been  fulfilled  in  the 
New  World. 

These  thoughts  may  furnish  a  fitting  prelude 
to  our  meditations  on  this  "Sabbath  of  Mourn- 
ing," the  Sabbath  that  precedes  the  Ninth  of  Ab. 
May  we  mention  this  date  without  being  decried 
as  retrogressive?  But  is  it  really  shameful  for  a 
man  to  recall  his  youth,  to  bring  to  mind  his 
youthful  follies — especially  when  honest  intro- 
spection shows  him  that  he  has  not  yet  liberated 
himself  entirely  from  them.^^ 

The  Ninth  of  Ab !  fateful  date  in  Jewish  history ! 
What  memories  it  recalls!  Picture  the  agony 
of  a  man  reared  in  poverty  who,  by  unremitting 


Expiate  the  Sins  of  Youth  71 

toil  and  unceasing  thrift,  has  amassed  enough  to 
acquire  a  home  for  his  family.  He  settles  down,  a 
happy  man.  But  soon,  alas,  a  fire  breaks  out; 
his  home  is  reduced  to  ashes  and  he  himself  to 
beggary. 

Time,  which  heals  all  things,  deals  kindly 
with  him.  He  gathers  his  energies  anew;  again 
he  begins  his  race  after  fortune;  and  again,  after 
years  of  unwearied  toil  and  endeavor,  amasses 
sufficient  to  erect  upon  the  ruins  of  his  former 
home,  a  house  more  beautiful  than  the  first.  His 
former  misery  is  forgotten  and  life  for  him  once 
more  assumes  a  happy  aspect. 

But  his  happiness  is  destined  not  to  continue 
for  long.  Soon,  once  more,  is  heard  the  cry  of 
"fire,"  and  in  a  few  hours,  the  proud  work  of 
years  is  again  reduced  to  ashes  and  he  himself 
once  more  a  beggar.  Picture  the  misery  of  his 
soul  as  he  contemplates  the  smouldering  ruins  of 
his  happiness.  "Whence  shall  come  my  help?" 
?  my  xn^  pxo  he  cries  in  anguish,  and  to  his 
heart  there  comes  the  answering  word:  DVD  nry 
•nxi  D^Dfi5^  r]mv  'n,  "  My  help  cometh  from  the  Lord, 
who  made  heaven  and  earth."  (Ps.  cxxi,  1.) 
The  answer  comforts  him  wonderfully.  He  takes 
heart  again  and  begins  the  work  of  life  anew. 

For  the  third  time,  he  achieves  prosperity.  But, 
taught  by  painful  memories  and  experience,  he  is 


72  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

afraid  to  risk  all  he  possesses  in  a  house  of  stone 
and  wood.  The  place,  too,  which  was  twice  the 
scene  of  his  misfortune,  fills  him  with  dread.  So, 
far  away  he  wanders,  to  seek  a  home  in  the  wide 
world.  But  before  he  leaves  the  spot  where  so 
much  happiness  and  so  many  sorrows  had  been 
his,  he  solemnly  vows  that  once  a  year  he  would 
return  thither,  in  order  that  the  experiences  of  his 
past  life  might  never  become  blurred  in  his 
memory,  and  that  his  soul  might  never  lose  the 
consolation  of  the  trust  in  God  that  had  sustained 
him  in  his  well-nigh  overwhelming  misfortunes. 

Now  who  is  this  child  of  misfortune  of  whom 
we  have  been  speaking?  In  truth,  it  is  Israel. 
Twice  did  Israel  see  his  politico-national  inde- 
pendence estabhshed  and  twice  he  saw  it  crumble 
to  pieces.  Twice  had  he  to  cry  out  in  agonizing 
lamentation:  .nm^l  ^ni^vyn  ^\^  n'?^  Dn^D,  "From 
on  high  hath  He  sent  fire  into  my  bones  and  it 
prevailed  against  them."  (Lam.  i,  13.)  Twice 
had  he  to  grasp  the  wanderer's  staff.  In  fulfilment 
of  the  prediction  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  he  had 
twice  to  weep  for  the  twofold  night  of  misfortune 
of  the  Ninth  of  Ab,  in  which  God  "emptied  His 
wrath  upon  wood  and  stone." 

But  while  the  walls  of  Zion  have  fallen  and  the 
holy  place  has  been  reduced  to  ashes,  God  still 
remains  to  him;  and  with  Him,  the  Unchangeable 


Expiate  the  Sins  of  Youth  73 

One,  is  Israel's  existence  bound  up.  "As  I  have 
never  changed,"  say  our  Sages,  "so  you,  house  of 
Jacob,  have  never  perished;  nor  will  you  ever 
perish.  As  you  are  united  to  the  Lord,  your 
God,  so  shall  you  remain  forever."  ^° 

Israel's  misfortunes  are  to  him  a  fountain  of 
perennial  inspiration,  iniyjn  '?)V  i<^''  ^3  "in:i^  nitD 
"It  is  good  for  a  man  that  he  has  borne  the  yoke 
in  his  youth."  (Lam.  iii,  27.)  So  year  by  year, 
on  the  anniversary  of  his  misfortunes,  Israel  re- 
turns— at  least  in  thought — to  the  scene  of  his 
sorrows,  recalls  the  sins  of  his  youth,  and  piously 
resolves  to  rid  himself  of  them. 

"Jerusalem  sinned  grievously,  therefore  did  she 
become  as  one  unclean."  (Lam.  i,  8.)  The  first 
Temple  was  destroyed — so  the  Talmud  tells  us — 
because  of  the  prevailing  sins  of  idolatry,  murder 
and  incest.^^  The  second  Temple  was  destroyed  be- 
cause of  the  Djn  ni<:^ — "gratuitous  hatred"  that 
was  general  in  Israel. ^^  And  this  Sinath  'Hinnom 
is  a  grievous  sin! 

The  first  sins  of  his  youth — the  three  capital 
sins  of  the  period  of  the  first  Temple — have, 
thank  God,  long  ago  been  banished  from  the 
camp  of  Israel.  But  how  about  the  sin  that 
brought  the  Israel  of  the  second  Temple  nearly 


74  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

to  the  verge  of  destruction — Sinath  'Hinnom? 
Is  this  extinct,  or  does  fraternal  hate  still  rage 
to-day  and  party-contention  storm,  as  afore-time? 
Do  not  our  Orthodox,  as  well  as  our  Neologians, 
still  fan  the  flames  of  animosity  against  each 
other — unholy  flames  that  are  destroying  the 
very  life  of  Israel? 

Israel!  aged  youth!  When  will  you  finally  lay 
aside  your  ancient  youthfulness?  Have  you  not 
yet  learned  your  lesson  in  the  school  of  life — you, 
"the  man  who  has  seen  affliction  by  the  rod  of 
God's  wrath?"  (Lam.  iii,  1.)  Have  you  not 
suffered  enough  from  this  party-hatred  that  has 
wrought  such  devastation  in  your  spiritual, 
religious  and  social  life?j  Must  we  forever  hear 
the  lament:  "Our  "fathers  sinned  and  are  no 
more,  and  we  must  bear  the  punishment  for  their 
iniquities?"  (Lam.  v,  7.)  So  long  as  we  sin 
against  ourselves,  so  long  as  we  continue  this 
mutual  hatred,  so  long  will  God  not  forgive  us. 
God  helps  those  who  help  themselves.  "Love 
work,"  cried  Shemaiah;  and  his  maxim  is  not 
an  exhortation  merely  to  physical  labor;  it 
applies  equally  to  the  religiously  creative  spirit. 
"Shun  lordship."  Let  none  wish  to  demonstrate 
his  superiority  over  others,  but  with  considerate, 
loving  co-operation,  let  all  labor  for  the  communal 
weal. 


Expiate  the  Sins  of  Youth  75 

If  our  teachers,  particularly  those  who  have  the 
good  fortune  to  occupy  prominent  positions, 
pursue  their  own  individual  paths,  proud  only  of 
their  fat  benefices,  of  them  might  it  be  said: 
n^^yn  nx  niipr^^  nijni^  ^ik  "Woe  to  the  rabbin- 
ate that  destroys  him  who  administers  it";^^ 
— for,  with  plenty  in  sight,  they  who  seek  for 
religious  nourishment  may  famish  for  lack  of 
food. 

If  religion  is  neglected  among  our  congrega- 
tions, if  the  home  life  is  not  what  it  should  be, 
the  fault  is  largely  to  be  laid  at  the  door  of  our 
Rabbis,  who  have  failed  to  urge  sufficiently  the 
claims  of  the  Jewish  religious  life.  This  was  the 
trouble  at  the  time  of  our  national  independence — 
the  great  men  in  Israel  had  failed  to  utilize  their 
power  and  their  opportunity  to  strengthen  the 
religious  life. 

.m  DK  nt  in^Din  i<^^  ^nti^n  «^x  D^^ti'ii^  nam  n^ 

"Jerusalem  was  destroyed  only  because  the 
teachers  did  not  reprove  each  other."  ^^  Hence 
it  is  our  duty  as  Rabbis,  to  set  forth  the  truth 
with  all  impressiveness,  to  examine  our  faith  to  its 
very  foundations,  to  pull  up  the  weeds  of  religious 
indifference  that  have  been  allowed  to  grow 
luxuriantly;  in  order  that  a  better  state  of  things 
may  arise. 


76  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

•ny  13  nytj^  )'?  pnniD  inD  ^Dn  tox  njiyn  ^d 

"He  who  proclaims  his  rehgious  message  with 
courage,  to  him  will  be  opened  the  gates  of  Para- 
dise" ^^ — that  is  to  say,  such  a  one  paves  the 
way  for  better  things,  for  a  more  beautiful  future. 
Be  not  ashamed  of  your  past.  Hold  sacred 
that  which  was  sacred  to  your  ancestors.  Rejoice 
on  the  occasions  when  they  rejoiced,  and  grieve 
at  the  times  when  they  grieved.  Fast  on  the 
great  national  day  of  mourning,  the  Ninth  of 
Ab ;  for  it  is  becoming  to  the  man  who  has  achieved 
happiness  to  recall  the  days  of  misfortune  of  his 
youth. 

"He  who  mourns  for  Jerusalem  will  some  day 
rejoice  in  its  glory."  ^^ 

May  the  spiritual  Zion,  the  Jerusalem  of  true 
piety,  be  soon  rebuilt! 


THE  PRIESTLY  PEOPLE 

ILLEL,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  Tannaim, 
and  one  of  the  most  influential  men  pro- 
duced by  Judaism,  taught: 

,n)'?^  tnni  di^ij^  nmfe<    Ain^  '?^  ri^D^no  ^in 
.min^  ]2ipD)  nrinn  nx  nni« 

"Be  of  the  disciples  of  Aaron,  loving  peace  and 
pursuing  peace,  loving  thy  fellow-creatures,  and 
drawing  them  near  to  the  Tor  ah." 

This  thought,  worthy  of  him  who  uttered  it, 
can  best  be  understood  in  connection  with  the 
Sabbath  of  Consolation.*  This  Sabbath,  which 
has  received  its  name  from  the  opening  words  of 
its  Haphtarah:  "Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye,  my 
people,"  'DV  l»n:  ion:,  stands  in  marked  con- 
trast with  the  Sabbath  that  precedes  it — the 
"  Sabbath  of  Mourning."  While  the  former  recalls 
to  us  the  setting  star  of  Israel's  political  inde- 
pendence, the  latter  reveals  to  us  that  other  star, 

*  Preached  on  Sabbath  Na'hmu. 
77 


78  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

which  arose  in  the  firmament  of  Israel's  disper- 
sion. If  our  tearful  glances  on  the  Sabbath  of 
Mourning  and  on  the  Ninth  of  Ab,  were  projected 
back  to  fields  covered  with  the  bleaching  bones  of 
men  who  fought  bravely  for  liberty,  on  this 
Sabbath,  we  hear  the  voice  of  consolation:  l^no  vn> 
"Thy  dead  live."  (Is.  xxvi,  19.)  They  await 
with  rejoicing  those  who  are  now  sunk  into  the 
dust.  If,  last  week,  we  listened  to  Jeremiah 
the  prophet  of  affliction,  voicing  the  grief  of  his 
people  as  he  sends  to  the  scattered  sons  of  Judah 
his  mournful  dirges  to  buried  liberty,  to-day  we 
listen  to  another  divinely-appointed  prophet: 
"Get  thee  to  the  mountain  top,  thou  that  bringest 
good  tidings  to  Zion.  Lift  up  thy  voice  with 
strength,  thou  that  bringest  good  tidings  to 
Jerusalem;  say  unto  the  cities  of  Judah:  *  Behold 
your  God'!"     (Is.  xl,  9.) 

How  beautiful  is  this  voice  of  consolation, 
which  is  directed  to  the  heart  of  Jerusalem! 
Twice  had  she  been  punished  for  her  sins — twice 
had  Israel's  national  existence  been  brought  to  an 
end — and  now  she  receives  a  two-fold  consola- 
tion— inn:  ion: — dhj^  ^n^?n  nnnn  ^d^ — this  means, 
"I  would  comfort  you  for  all  time,"  say  the  Sages." 
"That  is  why  the  text  reads  DD^n^«  nox^  "Your 
God  will  say"  and  not  DD^n^«  noN  "Your  God 
hath  saidi^  which  would  have  been  more  natural. 


The  Priestly  People  79 

These  words  of  the  prophet  have  indeed  con- 
soled the  Jewish  people  during  their  long  exile, 
and  they  breathe  their  consoling  message  also 
to  our  own  time.  Listen  once  more  to  the  prophet : 
'n  111  i:d  imDn  niip  ^ip  "Hark!  One  calleth: 
prepare  ye  in  the  wilderness  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our 
God."     (Is.  xl,  3.) 

These  words  are  at  once  both  a  consolation 
and  a  message.  On  his  own  soil,  under  national 
liberty,  Israel  had  not  fulfilled  his  mission,  nor 
had  he  lived  up  to  his  name — Israel — the  Cham- 
pion of  God.  That  he  became,  only  after  he  had 
been  disciplined  in  the  school  of  suffering,  during 
his  long  exile.  He  who,  in  the  fullness  of  his 
national  life,  inspirited  by  eloquent  prophets, 
psalmists  and  thinkers,  forgot  his  origin,  only 
after  his  dispersion  became  conscious  of  his 
mission  to  the  world.  He  who,  under  the  shade 
of  his  own  vine  and  fig-tree,  never  thought  of  his 
vocation,  'neath  the  shadow  of  the  willows  by 
Babel's  streams,  voiced  his  elegiac  strains  of 
yearning  for  his  native  land:  "If  I  forget  thee,  O 
Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning." 
(Ps.  cxxxvii,  5.) 

And  his  oath  has  been  faithfully  kept.  In  the 
homeless  desert  of  his  dispersion,  a  new  Jerusalem 
has  been  established  upon  the  granite  foundation 


80  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

of  his  monotheistic  idea.  In  his  dispersion, 
Israel  appreciated  the  prophetic  call:  "In  the 
wilderness  prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make 
straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God." 
In  the  wilderness  of  superstition  and  unbelief  by 
which  he  was  surrounded,  Israel  prepared  the 
way  for  the  Eternal  One.  In  the  desert  of  moral 
desolation,  Israel  hewed  out  the  paths  for  Right, 
Truth  and  Humanity.  His  watchword  through 
the  centuries  was  nJiriD  imDD  "From  the  wilder- 
ness to  the  camp,"  ^^^''^nj  runoo  "From  the  camp 
to  the  divine  heritage,"  and  DlDl  ^i^^^nJD  "From 
the  divine  heritage  to  the  heights."  (Num.  xxi, 
18-19.) 

These  were  the  stations  in  the  long  wanderings 
of  Israel,  which  mark  the  stages  of  his  develop- 
ment. With  the  traveller's  staff  in  one  hand  and 
the  Tor  ah  in  the  other,  Israel  journeyed  through 
the  wilderness  of  barbarism  and  the  desert  of  the 
then  spiritual  life.  Through  his  teachings,  he  gave 
the  world  the  patrimony  of  the  divine  idea  and 
lifted  humanity  to  the  heights  of  civilization. 
Learning,  he  taught;  and  teaching,  he  learned 
how  to  become  "a  light  to  the  nations."  (Is. 
xlii,  6.)  This  is  the  mission  of  Israel.  This  is 
the  meaning  of  the  saying  of  our  Sages:  nina^  Dvn 
n^K^o  i^i:)  \>"^r]i,  "On  the  day  that  the  Sanctu- 
ary  at   Jerusalem   was   destroyed,    the   Messiah 


The  Priestly  People  81 

was  born"^^ — for  it  was  the  extinction  of  the 
Jewish  State  that  gave  birth  to  the  messianic 
vocation  of  Israel — the  salvation  of  humanity. 
Jewish  nationality  was  now  at  an  end,  and  the 
Jew  henceforth  became  a  citizen  of  the  World. 

Now,  how  did  Israel,  thus  changed,  wield  his 
mighty  influence  upon  the  history  of  mankind.'^ 
It  was  by  heeding  the  words  of  his  prophet  of 
consolation:  "A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break, 
and  the  dimly-burning  wick  shall  he  not  quench," 
(Is.  xlii,  3.)  as  he  strove  after  truth  and  worked, 
as  a  priestly  people  for  humanity.  Throughout 
his  eventful  career,  he  was  "a  disciple  of  Aaron, 
loving  peace  and  pursuing  it." 

.inDiii  n)'?^  ^p2  fc^DH  cnn  'm  ^d  inn  n^riD  nivon  ^d 
nnx  Dipoo  insiii  ^D^pD2  )r]^p2 

"In  the  case  of  all  other  commandments,  we 
are  not  directed  to  seek  opportunities  in  order 
to  put  them  into  practice;  we  are  enjoined  to 
perform  them  when  occasion  arises.  But  of 
peace,  it  is  said:  'Seek  peace  and  pursue  it;' 
(Ps.  xxxiv,  15.) — seek  it  where  you  happen  to  be, 
and  if  unsuccessful,  pursue  it  elsewhere."  ^^ 

Such  has  ever  been  Israel's  course.  Hunted 
from  place  to  place,  Israel  has  been  a  living 
memorial  of  the  teachings  of  peace,  demonstrating 
by  example  how  harshness  must  be  softened  and 


82  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

intolerance  overcome.  Despised  and  persecuted, 
he  has  not  only  loved  peace,  but  pursued  it, 
"loving  his  fellow-creatures  and  bringing  them 
near  to  the  Tor  ah."  Through  his  matchless 
endurance,  his  persecutors  were  often  forced  to 
become  his  admirers,  and  his  influence  upon  the 
thoughts  and  actions  of  those  in  whose  midst  he 
lived,  constantly  grew,  and  Justice  and  Benevo- 
lence obtained  as  the  result  of  his  teaching — 
though  the  peoples  were  not  always  willing  to 
recognize  him  as  the  teacher. 

And  we  can  only  succeed  in  our  priestly  mission, 
by  heeding  the  further  admonition  of  the  prophet 
of  consolation:  "Every  valley  shall  be  lifted  up, 
and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  made 
low;  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the 
rough  places,  a  plain;"  (Is.  xl,  4.)  which  we  will 
interpret — wherever  a  command  of  God  is  cast 
down  and  appears  lowly,  it  shall  be  lifted  up,  and 
by  being  placed  in  its  proper  religious  light,  be 
exalted; — and  on  the  other  hand,  wherever  an 
ungainly  custom  which,  as  a  crooked  path,  hinders 
us  in  the  path  to  God,  we  must  be  given  the  power 
to  remove  it.  When  we  have  a  Judaism  thus 
strengthened  from  within  and  from  without,  in  a 
representative  and  authoritative  manner,  working 
harmoniously  for  the  future,  we  shall  have  founded 
the  new  Jerusalem,  to  which  may  be  applied  the 


The  Priestly  People  83 

consoling  thought  of  R.  Akiba.     The  story  runs 
as  follows:  ^° 

It  happened  once  that  R.  Gamaliel,  R.  Eleazar 
ben  Azariah,  R.  Joshua  and  R.  Akiba  were  walk- 
ing in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem.  When  they 
reached  the  Temple  mount  and  saw  the  desolation 
about  them,  they  rent  their  garments;  and  when 
they  reached  the  spot  where  the  Temple  had 
stood  and  saw  a  fox  run  out  from  the  very  site 
of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  three  of  the  teachers  wept 
bitterly;  but  R.  Akiba  laughed  aloud.  Rebuked 
for  this,  to  them,  unseemly  state  of  feeling,  "You 
ask  me  why  I  am  merry,"  said  he;  "tell  me  why 
you  weep?"  "Because,"  said  they,  "we  have 
seen  the  fulfilment  of  Micah's  prophecy:  "Zion 
shall  be  ploughed  as  a  field,  and  the  mountain 
of  the  Temple  as  the  high  places  of  the  forest. 
(Micah  iii,  12.)  "This  very  fulfilment,"  said  R. 
Akiba,  "is  to  me  the  best  assurance  that  the 
prophecy  of  Zechariah  concerning  the  new  Jeru- 
salem will  be  likewise  fulfilled."  (Zech.  viii,  4.) 
"Thy  words  have  comforted  us,"  answered  his 
companions. 

And  we,  too,  are  consoled.  The  ancient  Zion 
with  its  sacrificial  altar  is  no  more,  but  the  new 
Zion,  with  its  humane  institutions,  has  taken  its 
place.  The  old  Jerusalem  has  fallen,  but  the  new 
Jerusalem,  that  shall  unite  all  the  sons  of  men, 


84  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

shall  be  erected  on  the  old  ruins.  Be  consoled! 
Awake  and  stand  erect,  my  people!  If  you  are 
true  to  yourselves,  true  to  your  priestly  vocation, 
true  in  the  freedom-breathing  Present  to  the 
fundamental  teachings  of  the  Past,  you  will  be 
paving  the  way  for  a  glorious  future  that  shall 
witness  the  holy  cause  of  Religion  served,  not 
only  with  a  broad  culture,  but  with  a  warm  heart 
as  well.  Then  will  this  Sabbath  of  Consolation 
mean  something  for  the  future  of  Israel  and  for 
mankind;  for  from  this  Zion  the  Law  will  go 
forth  and  the  Word  of  God  from  this  Jerusalem. 


XI 

HILLEL'S  GOLDEN  WORDS 

F  the  sayings  of  Hillel,  two  particularly 
precious  ones  have  been  preserved  to  us: 

"He  who  would  aggrandize   his   name, 

destroys  it;  he  who  fails  to  increase  his 

knowledge,  decreases  what  he  has;  he  who 

does  not  study,  is  deserving  of  death;  and  he  who 

makes  a  worldly  use  of  the  crown  of  the  Torah, 

shall  waste  away." 

His  other  saying  is: 

"If  I  am  not  for  myself,  who  will  be  for  me? 
And  being  for  mine  own  self,  what  am  I?  And 
if  not  now,  when?" 

Never  has  a  man  so  expressed  his  individuality 
in  a  saying  as  here.  Only  a  Hillel  could  have 
given  expression  to  these  maxims — he  whose  name 
has  become  proverbial  for  patience,  modesty, 
love  of  learning  and  eagerness  for  the  general  good. 
Only  a  Hillel  could  have  revealed  himself  thus  in 
his  maxims;  and  only  a  Hillel  would  be  warranted 
to  command  these  maxims  for  emulation.     A  well- 

85 


86  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

known  incident  in  his  life  throws  h'ght  on  the 
origin  of  these  sayings. 

He  was  a  poor  youth,  we  are  told,  thirsting  for 
knowledge,  who  declined  his  rich  brother's  aid, 
preferring  to  support  himself  and  pay  the  small 
admission  fee  required  by  the  school,  by  daily 
labor.  This  fee  was  half  a  copper  shekel  and  he 
regulated  his  labor,  so  that  when  a  shekel  was 
earned,  he  gave  the  rest  of  his  time  to  study; 
the  other  half  defrayed  the  cost  of  his  scanty  food. 
On  one  occasion,  he  lacked  the  half-shekel  to  pay 
the  door-keeper;  so  he  mounted  the  flat  roof  of 
the  building,  and  listened  at  a  window  which 
looked  into  the  hall  below.  It  was  bitterly  cold 
and  he  was  covered  with  snow,  too  numb  to  move 
when  the  lecture  ended.  Next  morning,  he  was 
discovered,  almost  lifeless,  and  restored  to  con- 
sciousness with  much  difficulty.  When  he  told 
his  story,  it  was  ordered  that  he  should  hence- 
forth pay  no  entrance  fee. 

Who  could  say  with  greater  propriety  than 
Hillel:  "He  who  would  aggrandize  his  name, 
destroys  it.^^"  Had  he  only  intimated  that  he 
could  not  enter  the  school  for  lack  of  the  small 
coin  due  to  the  door-keeper,  how  easy  it  would 
have  been  for  him  to  gain  admittance!  But  the 
modest  Hillel  did  not  wish  his  name  to  be  praised 
as    one    who,    though    constrained    by   poverty, 


HilleVs  Golden  Words  87 

yet  sought  the  house  of  learning.  Rather  would  he 
expose  himself  to  danger,  than  "make  a  worldly 
use  of  the  Tor  ah" — use  it  to  gain  personal  benefit. 

If  Hillel's  principles  prevailed  among  our  present 
disciples  of  the  Torah,  we  would  have  fewer  world- 
restorers  and  saviors  of  humanity,  but  we  would 
have  a  much  more  peaceful  atmosphere,  in  which 
we  might  live  in  the  spirit  of  our  fathers.  For 
many  there  are  who  rise  up  in  our  day,  like  the 
builders  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  and  say:  *Let  us 
make  us  a  name.'  (Gen.  xi,  4.)  They  come 
forward  with  their  novel  ideas — alleged  "im- 
provements," which  are  in  reality  disfigurements, 
creating  a  veritable  babel  of  confusion,  so  that 
we  do  not  understand  one  another's  speech,  (v.  7.) 
"One  asks  for  bricks  and  the  other  brings  him 
mortar;  then  the  former  rises  up  against  him 
and  dashes  out  his  brains."  ^^ 

Both  brick  and  mortar  are  essential  in  the 
construction  of  a  building,  but  they  cannot 
take  each  other's  place.  If  one  is  substituted 
for  the  other,  if  instead  of  hard,  durable  brick 
and  stone  for  the  foundation  of  Judaism,  the 
laborer  brings  only  mortar  and  cement — orna- 
mental materials,  useful,  indeed,  but  suitable 
mainly  for  superficial  decoration,  the  edifice  thus 
erected,  will  never  be  able  to  stand  the  wear 
and  tear  of  stress  and  storm.     And  still  less,  if 


88  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

the  laborers,  unable  or  unwilling  to  understand 
each  other,  in  their  anxiety  to  make  them  a  name, 
fall  upon  each  other  with  the  ready  weapon  of  the 
pen,  and  crush  each  other.  Let  us  heed  Hillel's 
wise  counsel:  "He  who  would  aggrandize  his 
name,  destroys  it." 

To  Rabbis  especially,  should  Hillel's  words 
appeal,  leading  them  from  false  ambition,  un- 
justifiable eagerness  for  honors  and  harmful 
hankering  after  fame.  Not  that  ambition,  honor 
and  fame  are  bad  in  themselves.  Useful  as 
"means,"  they  are  harmful  when  pursued  as 
"ends" — "by  their  own  desire  accomplished,  they 
bring  their  own  grey  hairs  in  sorrow  to  the  grave." 
Still  we  must  not  be  inactive  and  get  into  a  rut, 
for  "He  who  fails  to  increase  in  knowledge, 
decreases  what  he  has." 

As  long  as  man  lives,  he  must  be  active,  and 
only  as  he  is  active,  does  he  live.  Progress  is 
the  law  of  life.  .inti/K  d-'d^  ^jniyn  nv  "If  you 
leave  me  for  a  single  day,  says  the  Torah,  I  will 
leave  you  for  two"  ^^ — which  is  to  say,  in  other 
words:  You  move  and  I  move;  if  you  go  backward 
one  day  and  I  go  forward,  we  shall  be  two  days 
apart.  Not  to  progress,  means  retrogression. 
'«J65^   .xnn  D^iyn  «^i  nin  D^iyn  «^  nnuD  dh^  i^x  n"n 

"The  disciples  of  learning  have  no  rest  either 


HilleVs  Golden  Words  89 

in  this  life  or  in  the  next.     As  it  is  said:  *  They  go 
from  strength  to  strength.'"  ^^     (Ps.  Ixxxiv,  8.) 

The  question  for  us  is,"  what  shall  we  call 
Progress  in  Religion  and  how  can  we  best  conserve 
our  energies?  If  "Progress"  is  to  be  evidenced 
by  destruction  and  not  by  construction;  if  it 
merely  means  the  giving  up  of  ancient  and  vener- 
able customs,  that  have  been  honored  by  long 
usage  and  which  bring  comfort  to  the  soul,  and 
offers  nothing  in  their  place,  then  every  well- 
meaning  Jew  will  call  such  "progress"  retro- 
gression. It  was  a  keen  observationj^of  'the 
Rabbis,  when  they  remarked: 

"A  broad  stride  robs  a  man  of  the  five-hundredth 
part  of  his  vision"  ^^ — that  is  to  say,  our  vision  is 
apt  to  be  beclouded  when  we  take  too  great  paces. 
In  the  impetuous  haste  to  abolish  time-honored 
Jewish  customs,  our  historical  vision  becomes 
blurred,  and  we  are  apt  to  lose  sight  of  the  dis- 
tinction between  the  significant  and  the  insignifi- 
cant, the  more  and  the  less  important.  Hence 
Hillel  teaches:  "He  who  does  not  study  is  deserv- 
ing of  death."  He  who  learns  nothing  from  Israel's 
rich  historic  past,  who  does  not  distinguish  be- 
tween that  which  is  eternally  binding  and  un- 
changeable and  that  which  is  of  secondary  im- 


90  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

portance  and  subject  to  the  circumstances  of  time 
and  place, — such  a  one  condemns  Judaism  to 
stagnation  and  death. 

True,  the  aesthetic  form  was  not  the  main  thing, 
to  our  ancestors;  to  them,  the  essential  factor 
was  the  observance  of  the  Law  in  the  communal 
and  domestic  Hfe.  But  even  they  voiced  the 
sentiment:  .nivcn  injnn  .iniJ^^l  ^^x  nr  "This  is 
my  God,  and  I  will  glorify  Him";  which  means, 
say  the  Sages,  "Seek  a  beautiful  form  for  the 
fulfilment  of  His  commandments."  ^^  But  the 
form  may  submerge  the  essence  and  too  many 
forms  may  hide  the  kernel  from  view.  Let  us 
heed  to  the  saying  of  Hillel:  "He  who  makes 
a  worldly  use  of  the  crown  of  the  Torah,  shall 
waste  away." 

The  fulfilment  of  the  Torah  is  the  crown  of 
Israel's  life.  This  Torah  must  illuminate  our  spirit 
and  warm  our  hearts.  To  debase  it,  by  making 
it  a  service  of  mere  formalism,  whether  it  be  of 
partisan  Orthodoxy  or  of  partisan  Radicalism, 
is  to  make  a  worldly  use  of  the  Crown  of  the 
Torah.  Envelop  the  crown  in  worthy  fashion; 
provide  the  essence  with  an  expressive  form,  and 
you  will  demonstrate  that  you  have  studied  and 
have  not  forgotten;  that  you  have  learned  to 
combine  and  blend  harmoniously  the  piety  of  the 
past  with  the  modern  sense  of  beauty.     To  pro- 


HilleVs  Golden  Words  91 

duce  this  harmony  intelligently,  and  in  a  way 
calculated  to  inspire  love  for  Judaism,  is  the 
grateful  task  of  our  day.  And  here,  again,  the 
words  of  Hillel  are  rich  in  inspiring  impulse:  "If 
I  am  not  for  myself,  who  will  be  for  me?" 

If  we  do  not  make  the  effort  to  preserve  the 
spiritual  inheritance  which  has  been  handed  down 
to  us  from  the  past,  so  that  we,  in  turn,  may 
transmit  it  to  posterity,  who  will  do  it  for  us? 
Everyone  recognizes  the  necessity  of  imbuing 
Israel  with  new  life.  But  how  this  is  to  be  done — 
here,  opinions  are  so  diverse  that  we  almost 
despair  of  success  in  the  task.  Does  not  Hillel 
suggest  the  proper  method?  "If  I  am  only  for 
myself,  what  am  I?" 

What  we  possess  does  not  belong  to  us  alone. 
Before  a  great  discovery  or  a  great  idea  can 
become  the  common  property  of  mankind,  hun- 
dreds must  have  labored  on  the  fundamental 
facts.  On  these  countless  laborers  do  we  depend 
for  every  blessing  we  enjoy.  So  must  we  not 
labor  for  ourselves  alone.  This  fundamental 
truth  has  not  escaped  the  keen  eye  of  the  Sages: 

"  How  many  varieties  of  labor  must  Adam  have 
performed  before  he  could  eat  a  piece  of  bread ! 
He  must  have  sowed,  reaped,  bound  sheaves, 
threshed,   sifted,    ground,   kneaded    and    baked. 


92  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

If  he  wanted  a  garment,  he  must  have  sheared, 
washed,  fulled,  spun,  and  woven.  '  For  me,'  says 
Ben  Zoma,  *  I  find  these  things  all  done  for  me 
when  I  wake  up  in  the  morning.'  "  ^^ 

And  is  it  otherwise  with  the  bread  of  the  spirit 
and  the  garment  of  the  soul?  "Man  liveth  not 
by  bread  alone."  (Deut.  viii,  3.)  This  bread 
of  the  spirit  must  be  prepared  through  the  co- 
operative labor  of  those  who  are  authorized. 
So  must  the  garment  which  is  to  clothe  the  soul — 
the  externals  of  Judaism.  But  if  each  one  lives 
only  and  strives  only  for  himself — seeking  only 
his  own  personal  advantage,  what  will  become 
of  Israel's  Torah,  of  Israel's  religion .^^  With 
intense  fanaticism  on  the  one  hand  and  cold 
indifference  on  the  other,  Israel's  priceless  heritage 
will  trail  unheeded  in  the  dust. 

Only  when  the  Rabbis  of  this  country  shall  be 
moved  by  a  common  endeavor  for  wise  moderation, 
unaff righted  at  the  "Backwards"  cry — which 
may,  after  all,  be  beneficent  progress;  only  when 
Religion  shall  again  have  been  restored  to  the 
home,  where  it  now  lies,  sadly  neglected;  and, 
speaking  generally,  only  when  conservative  pro- 
gress rather  than  ungovernable  speed  shall  char- 
acterize our  religious  movement,  can  the  outlook 
for  Judaism  be  hopeful. 

The  time  has  come.     It  is  now.     "If  not  now, 


HilleVs  Golden  Words  93 

when?"  Never  were  conditions  so  opportune 
as  here  and  to-day.  In  all  civilized  countries  the 
Jews  are  held  in  honor,  regardless  of  their  creed. 
Orthodox  Jews  stand  in  as  high  esteem  as  those  of 
Reform  tendencies.  A  Sir  Moses  Montefiore 
enjoys  the  friendship  of  royalty.  Sir  Nathaniel 
Rothschild  is  a  Conservative  in  Religion.  Yet 
on  taking  the  Oath,  kept  his  head  covered.  Is 
he  less  respected  than  our  Reformers,  who,  during 
divine  service,  worship  with  uncovered  heads  .^^ 

The  times  are  calling  to  us:  "Bring  order  out 
of  this  chaos."  "And  if  not  now,  when.^^"  Ye 
Rabbis,  be  heedful  of  the  old  Talmudic  saying: 

"He  who  would  force  the  hour,  i.e.,  who  would 
bring  things  to  pass  before  the  time  is  ready  for 
them,  will  in  all  probability  fail.  He,  however, 
who — recognizing  that  the  opportune  time  has 
come,  takes  advantage  of  it,  will  undoubtedly 
succeed."  ®^ 

The  opportune  moment  cannot  be  created.  It 
cannot  be  brought  about  by  violent  means;  but 
when  it  has  come,  it  behooves  us  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it — it  may  not  pass  our  way  again. 
Let  us,  then,  be  up  and  doing! 


XII 

BE  PERSISTENT  IN  STUDY 

EAVING  the  maxims  of  Hillel,  the  editor 
of  the  Mishnah  takes  us  to  his  renowned 
opponent,  Shammai.  His  maxim  runs 
as  follows: 


:  niQ^  d^:d  1202  mt<n  ^d 

"Fix  a  period  for  thy  study  of  the  Torah;  say 
little  and  do  much;  and  receive  all  men  with  a 
cheerful  countenance." 

In  this  saying,  as  in  those  of  Hillel,  the  author 
reveals  his  individuality.  In  contrast  to  Hillel, 
who  endeavored  to  render  the  fulfilment  of  the 
Law  easy,  Shammai  was  stern  and  unyielding. 
For  him,  the  Law  was  a  stubborn  reality  that 
permitted  no  modification.  Characteristic  of  him 
is  the  story  of  the  rigor  with  which  he  would  have 
insisted  upon  his  young  son's  fasting  on  the  Day 
of  Atonement,  had  not  friends  interceded  on  the 
child's  behalf.  And  yet  Shammai  was  not  the 
austere  man  that  legend  portrays.     In  the  maxim 

94 


Be  Persistent  in  Study  95 

here  quoted,  he  is  anything  but  austere:  "Receive 
all  men  with  a  cheerful  countenance." 

The  rigorous  views  of  Shammai,  indeed,  ceased 
to  prevail  in  course  of  time,  in  the  schools  of 
learning  which  grouped  themselves  around  these 
two  teachers.  Altho  the  Bath-kol — the  Heavenly 
Voice — had  declared  D^^n  D>n^«  nm  l^xi  l^K  "The 
words  of  both  of  them  are  the  words  of  the  living 
God,"  in  actual  practice,  ^^n  n^nD  HD^m  "the 
decision  according  to  the  school  of  Hillel"  was 
followed.®^  This  was  doubtless  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  rigor  of  the  school  of  Shammai  grew  so 
burdensome,  that  it  became  intolerable;  and  the 
Rabbis,  wherever  possible,  avoided  overburdening 
of  the  people. 

r^iD^  invn  nn  d"n  k^k  '■)):i'in  ^y  nin:i  inri:  px 

"  We  should  only  make  such  enactments  as  the 
majority   of    the  community  can   carry   out."  ^^ 

In  referring  to  the  views  of  Shammai,  my  only 
object  is  to  call  attention  to  his  notable  saying: 
yap  imin  ntj^y  "Fix  a  period  for  thy  study  of 
the  Torah" — words  that  have  a  very  practical 
application  for  ourselves. 

Some  may  object  that  I  am  not  suflSciently 
familiar  with  American  conditions,  and  that  it  is 
presumptuous  on  my  part  to  pass  judgment.    Well, 


96  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

I  will  not  presume  to  pass  judgment,  but  will 
merely  express  my  individual  opinion,  the  result 
of  my  personal  experience  here — an  opinion 
that  I  feel,  if  it  be  discussed  with  calm  deliber- 
ation, will  be  found  to  be  not  without  value. 

A  stranger  from  abroad,  arriving  in  this  great 
city,  is  immediately  struck  by  a  sight  which  he 
would  seek  in  vain  in  the  Old  World.  He  notes 
the  architectural  peculiarity  of  the  houses  and  the 
methodical  sameness  and  regularity  of  the  streets. 
Entering  one  of  the  dwellings,  he  at  once  sees  the 
regularity  of  the  street  reproduced,  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  rooms,  and  in  the  conveniences  for 
comfort  everywhere  provided,  for  light,  heat  and 
water.  If  we  enter  the  Jewish  temples,  syna- 
gogues and  schoolhouses,  however,  we  find  at 
once  a  marked  contrast  to  what  we  have  just 
observed.  Here  no  such  similarity  of  arrange- 
ment exists.  Light,  heat  and  water — elements 
equally  indispensable  in  the  house  of  God,  are 
found  distributed  disproportionately,  one  or  other 
of  these  necessities  being  often  not  provided  for 
at  all.  In  one,  we  find  only  light — much  light, 
glaring  light,  but  no  warmth-giving  fire  of  religious 
emotion.  In  another,  we  find  only  heat — too 
much  heat,  the  consuming  heat  of  fanaticism, 
but  too  little  light  for  the  nourishment  of  mind 
and  soul.     And  where  at  times  we  find  the  light 


Be  Persistent  in  Study  97 

of  a  refined  divine  service  joined  to  the  fire  of 
religious  emotion,  there  is  lacking  the  third  ele- 
ment— the  soul-cleansing  water  from  which  the 
worshippers  emerge,  purified  from  the  dust  of  the 
workaday  world. 

•DivD  p«^D  pj^vn  niJiy  pn^o   \r\^^  Din^  pdj33 

"As  streams  spread  forth,"  (Num.  xxiv,  6) 
say  the  Sages,  so  is  it  with  Israel's  school-houses 
and  houses  of  worship;  they  who  enter  them, 
covered  with  the  dust  of  daily  life  and  sin,  leave 
them,  purified  and  strengthened."  ^° 

Who  is  to  blame  for  the  fact  that  the  Judaism 
of  the  New  World  is  characterized  by  so  many 
dissimilarities  and  differences?  I  believe  that  the 
fault  is  mainly  due  to  the  Rabbis.  "In  those  days 
there  was  no  king  in  Israel;  everyone  did  that 
which  was  right  in  his  own  eyes."  (Jud.  xvii,  6.) 
These  words,  which  describe  a  sad  episode  in 
Israel's  ancient  history,  apply,  alas,  to  our  own 
day.  The  religious  dissensions  which  prevail  in 
our  midst  seem  to  me  to  have  their  source  in 
the  circumstance  that  we  recognise  no  authority 
in  matters  of  Religion.  Every  'Hazan  plays  Rav 
in  his  congregation,  preaches  just  what  he  pleases, 
acts  just  as  it  suits  him^and  so  long  as  the  mem- 
bership is  sufficient  to  guarantee  the  support  of 
the  temple,  no  one  cares. 


98  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

Then,  there  is  the  fact  of  too  much  preaching. 
A  great  preacher  was  once  asked:  "How  often 
should  a  man  preach"?  He  answered:  "A  good 
preacher  can  dehver  a  good  sermon  once  a  month, 
a  mediocre  preacher,  twice  a  month;  while  a  poor 
preacher  can  deliver  a  sermon  once  a  day." 
Here  let  it  be  observed,  that  the  principal  occupa- 
tion of  the  Rabbi,  from  the  earliest  times,  has 
been  the  pursuit  of  Jewish  learning.  Hence,  in 
former  days,  only  special  occasions  called  him  into 
the  pulpit.  To-day,  custom  prescribes  a  weekly 
oratorical  display  as  the  Rabbi's  chief  task — it  is  a 
mere  imitation  of  what  obtains  in  Christian 
churches,  where  weekly  sermons  are  demanded. 
Perhaps  the  olden  times  were  too  niggardly  in  the 
matter  of  sermons,  which  were  expected  only  on 
Sabbath  Haggadol  and  Sabbath  Shubah,  and  at 
most,  a  sermon  on  each  of  the  Holy  days;  but 
would  not  a  sermon  once  every  two  or  three  weeks 
be  enough  .f^ 

Do  I  make  this  suggestion  for  the  purpose  of 
easing  the  labors  of  the  Rabbi. ^^  By  no  means. 
On  the  contrary,  it  would  increase  them.  But  it 
would  enable  him  to  pursue  the  study  of  the 
Torah  more  assiduously.  He  could  then  **fix  a 
period  for  the  study  of  the  Torah,"  and  "speaking 
little,"  he  could  "do  much." 

This  condition  of  things,  indeed,  obtained  in 


Be  Persistent  in  Study  99 

former  times,  when  there  was  no  distinction  be- 
tween cleric  and  layman,  when  every  Jew  pursued 
the  study  of  the  Torah,  when  in  every  house  were 
heard  the  echoes  of  that  study  and  where,  when 
the  struggle  for  existence  occupied  the  day,  the 
nights  were  brought  into  requisition  for  that  pur- 
pose. In  such  an  environment,  the  words  of  the 
ancient  Rabbis  were  fraught  with  deep  meaning: 
•mm  irx  n^^^n  n^iin  nm  n  vvDm^  n^3 
"A  house  in  which  the  words  of  Torah  are  heard 
at  night — such  a  house  will  never  be  destroyed."  ^^ 

In  our  day,  when  the  rank  and  file  of  our  people 
do  not  study  the  Torah  as  aforetime;  when  such 
study  is  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  Rabbis; 
of  them,  at  least,  it  is  expected  that  they  "fix  a 
period  for  their  study  of  the  Torah.*'  The  only 
qualification  of  a  Rabbi  is  occupation  with 
the  Torah.  KpiK^i  kd^k  xnx  "in  ion:  hdd  niin  )^'?  ^x 
Were  it  otherwise  "Any  one  in  the  street  could 
adopt  the  title."  ^^  If  our  congregations  de- 
manded from  their  spiritual  guides  adequate 
rabbinical  training  as  well  as  a  consistent  Jewish 
religious  life,  not  everyone  who  now  calls  himself 
"reverend,"  would  be  permitted  to  teach  God's 
word  and  to  exercise  rabbinical  functions.  Our 
prospects  would  be  brighter.  Small  congregations 
would  care  less  for  independence.  Those  of  small 
resources  would  unite  with  larger  congregations; 


100  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

and  thus  would  our  holy  cause  be  better  served. 
And  with  the  strengthening  of  our  congrega- 
tions and  the  conservation  of  the  time  of  our 
Rabbis,  the  cause  of  humanity  would  be  furthered, 
and  Shammai's  last  suggestion  could  be  put  into 
practice:  "Receive  all  men  with  a  cheerful  counte- 
nance." Who,  particularly,  should  be  thus 
received?  First  and  foremost,  surely,  those  de- 
pendent upon  our  aid.  Our  community  supports 
thirty-six  charitable  Institutions,  which  call  for 
the  united  support  of  our  congregations  and 
Rabbis.  If  our  congregations  would  only  form  a 
Union  and  our  Rabbis  did  not  devote  themselves 
exclusively  to  preaching  sermons,  these  Institu- 
tions could  increase  their  usefulness. 

The  Rabbis,  too,  should  form  a  Union — not  only 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  them  together  once  a 
month  for  the  interchange  of  views,  but  to  promote 
research  in  Jewish  learning  which  is  now  so  sadly 
neglected.  Such  a  Union  would  do  away  with 
much  of  the  petty  jealousy  which  now  exists, 
and  check  the  careers  of  ignorant  and  arrogant 
men  who,  without  authority,  assume  rabbinical 
honors.  If  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  were  rid  of 
these  "little  foxes  that  spoil  the  vineyard,"  (Song 
of  Songs,  ii,  15.)  our  synagogues  and  temples 
would  come  to  their  own  and  Judaism  take  on  its 
brightest  aspect. 


XIII 

DOUBT  AND  SUPERSTITION 

HERE  are  truths  which  cannot  be  suflB- 
ciently  emphasized  or  reiterated  too 
frequently.  Such  a  truth  is  that  expressed 
by  Rabbi  Gamaliel: 

.nnoiK  ^^v'?  nnin  ^ki  pddh  id  p^noni  2^  i'?  nm 

"Provide  thyself  a  teacher,  keep  thyself  from 
doubt,  and  accustom  not  thyself  to  give  tithes 
by  a  conjectural  estimate." 

Why  did  the  Sage  repeat  the  first  portion  of  this 
saying .f^  Joshua  ben  Perahiah  had  already  dwelt 
upon  the  obligation  of  providing  ourselves  with 
a  teacher.  The  commentators  explain  this  by 
saying  that  R.  Joshua  ben  Perahiah  referred 
to  the  teacher  by  way  of  contrast  to  the  friend^ 
as  one  from  whom  we  should  learn;  while  R. 
Gamaliel  considers  him  as  one  authorized  to 
teach.  This  explanation  is  good  as  far  as  it  goes, 
but  I  believe  that  a  better  solution  is  to  be  found 
in  a  historical  episode.  In  this  connection,  too, 
another  difficulty  must  be  alluded  to. 

101 


102  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

All  the  previous  aphorisms  were  prefaced  by  the 
words  Dno  h'2\> — "The  author  received  the  teach- 
ing from  some  previous  teacher."  In  this  man- 
ner, the  chain  of  tradition  is  formed  from  the 
men  of  the  Great  Synagogue  to  Hillel  and  Sham- 
mai.  Here  we  should  have  expected  R.  Johanan 
ben  Zakkai,  who  received  the  tradition  from 
Hillel  and  Shammai.  This  is  evident  from  the 
eighth  section  of  the  second  chapter  of  the 
Ethics.  But  as  the  Editor,  himself  one  of  the 
Patriarchate,  wished  to  refer  now  to  the  followers 
of  Hillel,  he  does  not  follow  a  strict  genea- 
logical line,  and  breaks  the  chain  of  tradi- 
tion.^^ This  explains  the  appearance  in  this 
place  of  Rabbi  Gamaliel,  and  also  sheds  light 
upon  his  maxim. 

The  religious  controversies  of  Hillel  and  Sham- 
mai had  created  party-differences  in  Judaism, 
which  later  assumed  such  dimensions,  that  "it 
seemed  as  if  there  were  two  Torahs"  '^^ — min  ntj^yj 
nnin  TUJ^a,  for  what  the  one  permitted,  the  other 
prohibited.  It  was  feared  that  the  capricious 
interpretation  of  the  Law  would  open  the  door 
for  everyone  to  expound  the  Law  according  to 
his  own  whim  and  fancy.  Hence  Rabbi  Gamaliel, 
the  grandson  of  Hillel,  felt  it  necessary  to  repeat 
the  maxim  which  had  been  expressed  before 
under  other  circumstances,  by  another  authority: 


Doubt  and  Superstition  103 

"Provide  thyself  a  teacher,"  giving  the  reason 
for  this  repetition — "that  thou  mayest  keep 
thyself  from  doubt" — in  other  words,  in  order 
that  the  teacher,  as  the  authority,  may  declare 
the  Halachic  rule  which  should  be  followed  in  any 
given  case. 

If  such  precaution  was  necessary  in  times  when 
the  study  of  the  Torah  was  general  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  Torah  was  widespread,  how  much 
more  necessary  is  it  in  these  days,  when  the  study 
of  the  Torah  is  neglected  and  the  supporters  of 
Jewish  learning  are  becoming  ever  fewer  in  num- 
ber! Think  of  it,  it  was  recently  stated  in  the 
public  prints,  that  in  proportion  as  the  Jews  were 
abandoning  Jewish  studies,  non- Jewish  students 
were  taking  them  up !  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that 
mediocrity  and  superficiality  in  Jewish  knowledge 
are  increasing,  and  that  anyone  who  has  just 
stepped  upon  the  threshhold  of  Jewish  theology 
feels  himself  authorized  to  set  himself  up  as  a 
teacher  in  Israel,  in  this  New  World?  Grievous 
wounds  are  being  inflicted  by  these  nondescript 
mediocrities. 

.miDi  nxmn^  van  \^'?^  n"n  nt    /H^^Dn  D>^^n  nm  ^3 

"For  she  hath  caused  many  to  fall"  (Prov.  vii, 
26)  "this  refers,"  say  the  Sages,  "To  a  man  who 
acts  as  a  public  teacher  without  possessing  proper 
qualifications."  ^^ 


104  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

"And  countless  is  the  number  of  those  slain  by 
her." — (Ibid.)  "This  refers  to  those  who  are  quali- 
fied to  teach,  but  who,  through  false  modesty  and 
lack  of  courage,  fail  to  check  these  shallow  im- 
postors." 

In  former  times,  public  opinion  was  strong 
enough  to  keep  unworthy  men  out  of  the  pulpit. 

imx  PD^JDD  px  n"n  i:^«i  n"n  'p^  h^^dd  nx^non  ^3 

"A  man  who  merely  assumes  the  garb  of  a 
scholar,  but  who  is  no  scholar,  we  must  not  admit 
into  the  sacred  precincts."  ^^ 

The  man  of  learning,  however,  who  was  at 
the  same  time  a  pious  man,  was  held  in  great 
esteem.^^  Of  him  it  was  said:  ^K>  n^n^iJl  ^«^  nth 
— "He  is  worthy  and  his  mantle  befits  him." 

So  the  Rabbis  insisted  that  "A  man  should 
learn  before  he  teaches"  ^^ — niD^^  lini  tJ^^K  ^ny'?. 
Students  were  exhorted  "to  be  thoroughly 
prepared  before  coming  into  the  presence 
their  teachers"  ^^  —  •\'?\v  nnm  pn^jno  r]^p'vr:i  lon^ 
nD:n"i  ^op.  They  were  recommended  "to  live  in 
the  same  place  as  their  teachers",  ^°  so  that  they 
could  readily  obtain  information  when  needed — 
m  n)pD2  DIN  "in^  n'?)v'?.  It  was  no  mean  ad- 
vice,   therefore,    that    Rabbi    Gamaliel    offered, 


Doubt  and  Superstition  105 

when  he  recommended:  "Provide  thyself  a 
teacher,  and  keep  thyself  from  doubt." 

We  need  a  Rabbi  Gamaliel  in  these  days  of  ours, 
when  half-educated  men  find  it  easy  to  catch 
the  public  ear,  and  when  any  one  feels  himself 
justified  in  pronouncing  any  fleeting  suggestion 
that  may  occur  to  him  as  unquestionable  truth. 
In  these  times,  permeated  by  doubt  and  distrust 
in  all  things  religious,  when  cheap,  hollow  phrases 
are  made  to  pass  for  learning,  it  were  well  to  be- 
think ourselves  of  Rabbi  Gamaliel's  words: 
"Provide  thyself  a  teacher,  and  keep  thyself 
from  doubt." 

And  the  last  part  of  Rabbi  Gamaliel's  maxim 
is  also  of  practical  importance  for  our  times: 
"Accustom  not  thyself  to  give  tithes  by  a  con- 
jectural estimate."  History  repeats  itself.  We 
are  told  that  there  were  people  in  the  olden  days 
who  asked: 

"Of  what  use  are  Rabbis  who  will  not  permit 
us  to  eat  ravens,  and  who  cannot  prohibit  the 
use  of  pigeons.'^"  ^^ 

If  our  Rabbis  did  their  duty  conscientiously  and 
with  due  regard  to  the  Law,  preaching  in  sympathy 
with  its  spirit  and  averse  to  posing  as  innovators, 


106  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

such  a  condition  of  affairs  could  not  obtain  among 
ourselves.  We  are  told  of  a  certain  Rabbi  who 
lived  in  Jamnia,  who  "declared  a  forbidden  animal 
permitted,  and  gave  a  hundred  and  fifty  reasons 
for  his  opinion."  ^^ 

D^oyo  r'pn  Y^^r\  nx  nnton  T\^r\^  njm  ^^'^  p^ni  n^c^n 

We  do  not  need  such  men  of  learning.  The 
name  of  this  man  has  not  been  handed  down  to 
posterity;  he  was  not  deserving  of  such  immor- 
tality. He  is  deserving,  however,  of  being  re- 
membered, who  is  able  to  give  reasons  whereby 
the  distinction  between  the  permitted  and  the 
prohibited  may  be  properly  established.  Hence, 
on  the  same  page  of  the  Talmud  there  is  men- 
tioned a  celebrated  pupil  of  Rabbi  Meir,  Sym- 
machos  by  name,  who  gave  forty-eight  reasons 
for  prohibiting  a  certain  thing  and  a  like  number 
of  reasons  for  something  that  he  had  declared 
prohibited.  ^^ 

Let  us  learn  this  lesson:  Intellectual  power  and 
critical  acumen  are  only  of  value  when  we  utilise 
them  for  legitimate  purposes.  Hence  we  are 
warned  not  to  govern  ourselves  by  conjecture,  but 
by  the  standard  of  the  Law.  "Conjecture"  will, 
sooner  or  later,  lead  us  into  error —  yii:i  n^Dion  ^D 
"He  who  adds  too  much  in  one  case  will  di- 
minish  in   another."  ^^    The  Bible  furnishes   us 


Doubt  and  Superstition  107 

with  an  admirable  illustration  in  the  case  of 
Saul,  who  was  so  considerate  to  Amalek,  but  so 
cruel  to  the  city  of  Nob,  that  the  Divine  voice 
was  heard  in  remonstrance:  *'Be  not  so  pious 
that  ye  become  wicked."  ^^ 

Do  nothing  by  conjecture,  for  sooner  or  later 
you  will  commit  injustice.  And  in  your  religious 
relations  keep  away  from  doubt  as  you  would 
from  credulity.  It  is  just  as  wrong  to  wrap  one's 
self  in  the  mantle  of  agnostic  self-complacency — 
accepting  only  that  which  is  comprehensible  to 
one's  own  mind  and  perceptible  to  one's  own 
senses,  doubting  and  rejecting  everything  else — 
as  it  is  an  intellectual  narrow-mindedness  to 
believe  everything.  **The  simpleton  believeth 
everything,"  said  the  wise  Solomon.  (Pro  v. 
xiv,  15.) 

Tranquillity  of  mind  and  soul;  freedom  from 
doubt  and  absence  of  superstition — these  are 
found  best  in  listening  to  the  voice  of  a  teacher 
who  speaks  with  authority,  "neither  adding  to 
the  word  of  God,  nor  taking  aught  therefrom." 
(Deut.  iv,  2.) 


XIV 
SPEECH  AND  SILENCE 


WO  men  once  appeared  before  a  Roman 
ruler,  to  debate  the  question:  "Is  speech 
or  silence  of  greater  use  and  advantage?" 
The  first  speaker,  a  famous  orator,  pic- 
tured in  eloquent  language  the  value  of 
speech;  how  by  its  means  the  sorrowing  are 
consoled,  the  calumniated  defended,  the  doubting 
convinced,  the  seeker  after  wisdom  supplied  with 
knowledge,  and  armies  spurred  on  to  victory. 

The  second  speaker  then  stepped  forward,  and 
in  a  carefully  considered  address,  attempted  to 
refute  his  opponent's  arguments.  He  contended 
that  silence  was  of  greater  use;  if  utilized  gener- 
ally, mankind  would  be  saved  from  its  greatest 
miseries — at  any  rate,  men  would  never  betray 
themselves,  if  they  maintained  silence.  At  this 
point,  he  was  rudely  interrupted  by  the  first 
speaker:  "When  I,  by  means  of  my  oratorical 
powers,  attempted  to  prove  the  utility  of  speech, 
I  was  within  my  legitimate  sphere  and  availed 
myself  of  my  proper  weapon.     If  my  opponent 

108 


Speech  and  Silence  109 

acted  fairly,  he  would  demonstrate  the  value  of 
silence  by  remaining  silent.  As  it  is,  he  uses  my 
arguments  to  prove  his  thesis." 

We  are  reminded  of  this  anecdote  as  we  ap- 
proach the  saying  of  Simeon  ben  Gamaliel: 

"All  my  days  I  have  grown  up  among  the  wise, 
and  I  have  found  nothing  of  better  service  than 
silence;  not  learning  but  doing  is  the  chief  thing; 
and  he  who  multiplies  words  causes  sin." 

The  author  of  this  maxim  was  pre-eminently 
qualified  to  express  it.  He  was  a  man  of  learning 
and  President  of  the  Sanhedrin,  who  vacated  his 
chair  and  participated  actively  in  the  struggle 
against  the  Romans,  and  is  believed  to  have 
fallen  a  sacrifice  to  his  high  courage. 

Men  of  action  will  probably  coincide  with  our 
epigrammatist.  The  scholar,  however,  who  con- 
fines himself  to  the  walls  of  his  study,  aloof  from 
the  surging  stream  of  life,  will  hardly  agree  with 
him. 

Is  speech  or  silence  of  greater  use  and  ad- 
vantage? The  orator  would  often  prefer  silence 
to  speech.  On  many  an  occasion  he  feels  that  "A 
fool  when  silent  is  oft  accounted  wise."  (Prov. 
xvii,  28.)  And  yet  there  are  times  when  silence 
ceases  to  be  a  virtue,  when  speech  is  to  be  com- 
mended. It  is  certainly  true  in  the  matter  of 
religious  teaching. 


110  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

"  All  idle  chatter  is  bad,  but  when  indulged 
in  for  the  Torah  it  is  commendable."  ^^ 

But  many  of  our  preachers  speak  without  say- 
ing anything.  They  seem  to  think  that  language 
was  made  to  conceal  thought.  Such  preaching 
is  not  to  be  admired.  To-day,  indeed,  were  one 
merely  to  consult  his  own  personal  interests  and 
peace  of  mind,  he  would  often  remain  silent. 

"The  prudent  doth  keep  silent  in  such  a  time, 
for  it  is  an  evil  time."  (Amos  v,  13.)  Certain 
it  is,  that  silence  will  never  bring  about  so  much 
unhappiness  for  him  as  will  a  bold  denunciation 
of  the  spirit  of  the  times  and  a  courageous  criti- 
cism of  the  customs  of  the  day.  Prudence  and  re- 
gard for  personal  interests  may,  therefore,  dictate 
silence  and  abstinence  from  controversy,  but  is 
this  an  honest  and  a  worthy  attitude  to  pursue? 
In  worldly  matters,  it  is  well  enough  to  observe 
Solomon's  advice:  "Go  not  forth  hastily  to 
strive."  (Prov.  xxv,  8.)  Be  not  hasty  in  enter- 
ing into  controversy.  It  is  well  enough,  too,  to 
say  with  the  Talmud: 

nnnD 

"The  world  only  exists  through  those  who  in  a 
time  of  strife  keep  silence."  ^^ 


Speech  and  Silence  111 

But  that  same  Talmud  advocates  uncompro- 
mising speech  when  Religion  is  in  question. 

"Does  this  apply  also  to  religious  discussions?'* 
ask  the  Sages.  And  they  answer  "No."  As  it 
is  said:  "  Speak  ye  righteously." 

nrn  'n  "lai  «in  m  mn^o  \yi<)  nun  iDi^in 

"He  who  studies  the  Torah  and  does  not  teach 
it  to  others,  of  such  a  one  it  is  said  *he  hath 
despised  the  word  of  the  Lord'."  (Numb,  xv, 
31.)  88 

Speech,  then,  is  to  be  commended,  when  used  for 
religious  admonition.  If  the  Rabbi  fails  to 
admonish  those  whom  it  is  his  duty  to  admonish, 
he  is  guilty  of  a  sin  of  omission. 

But  there  is  a  speech  even  more  commendable. 
It  is  the  speech  of  action.  The  most  perfect 
oratory  is  not  to  be  compared  with  it.  The  art 
of  speech  is  often  shown  as  much  by  what  it  con- 
ceals as  by  what  it  reveals.  Hence  the  preacher 
will  often  avoid  the  things  that  may  be  resented 
by  his  hearers  and  for  which  he  may  be  called  to 
account.  Discretion  urges  that  "Silence  pays 
better  than  speech"  ^^ — inniD  na^  i^n^p^riK^ — that 
"If  speech  is  worth  a  sela,  silence  is  worth  double" ^° 
— mnn  npm^D  y^on  n^o — and  many  a  preacher 
in  our  day  is  paid  more  for  what  he  does  not  say. 


112  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

than  for  what  he  says.  That  sermon,  however, 
is  the  best  which  leads  to  action.  That  is  what 
our  maxim  drives  home  to  us:  "Not  learning  is 
the  chief  thing,  but  doing" — not  theory,  but 
practice;  "and  he  who  multiplies  words  causes 
sin" — abundant  professions  may  go  hand  in  hand 
with  the  gravest  error,  but  he  whose  good  deeds 
speak  for  him,  needs  no  other  justification. 

Judaism  is  primarily  and  supremely  a  religion 
of  DEED,  It  is  not  a  religion  of  phrases,  however 
high-sounding,  but  of  living  acts. 

At  the  time  of  the  persecutions  under  Hadrian, 
when  the  study  of  the  Law  and  the  practice  of  its 
behests  were  punished  by  death,  a  number  of 
renowned  men  assembled  at  a  certain  house, 
where  they  discussed  the  question: 

"Is  the  study  of  the  Law  or  the  practice  of  its 
precepts  of  greater  consequence.^"  If  we  are 
to  suffer  martyrdom  for  one  or  other  of  these,  for 
which  shall  it  be?  Opinions  differed.  R.  Tarfon 
pleaded  for  the  practice  of  Religion;  R.  Akiba 
maintained  that  the  theory  was  most  essential; 
and  his  opinion  prevailed : 

"The  study  of  the  Law  is  of  greater  consequence, 
for  study  leads  to  action."  ^^ 


Speech  and  Silence  113 

Akiba  brilliantly  exemplified  his  opinion  that 
"theory  is  the  mother  of  practice,"  in  his  own 
life.  We  are  told  that  he  traveled  to  many  of  the 
large  cities  in  Asia  Minor,  teaching  the  Torah 
and  awakening  the  Jews  to  a  proud  consciousness 
of  their  obligations.  He  died  a  martyr's  death  as 
the  result  of  his  zeal. 

Should  we,  fortunate  children  of  a  happier  time, 
not  rejoice  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  divine  com- 
mands, for  which  our  fathers  willingly  surrendered 
even  life  itself.?  How  true  are  the  words  of 
Moses,  that  when  the  peoples  of  the  earth  shall 
see  how  we  "observe  and  keep"  the  command- 
ments of  God,  they  will  say  of  us:  ** Surely  this 
great  nation  is  a  wise  and  understanding  people!" 
(Deut.  iv,  6.)  But,  alas,  in  certain  Jewish  circles 
"wisdom  and  understanding"  are  identified  with 
the  non-observance  of  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  with 
the  disregard  of  the  religious  ordinances  which 
have  been  the  very  life  of  Judaism.  Our  elders 
have  made  great  sacrifices  and  much  effort  has 
been  expended  to  arrange  and  beautify  our  Temple 
services,  yet  the  truth  must  be  told — an  honest 
Rabbi  cannot  conceal  it — that  the  religion  of  the 
home  and  its  practice  in  the  daily  life  are  not 
what  they  should  be. 

True,  a  Rabbi  is  not  the  keeper  of  the  conscience 
of  the  members  of  his  congregation.     It  is  claimed 


114  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

to-day  that  the  private  lives  of  Jews  are  no 
business  of  the  Rabbi,  but  are  matters  between  the 
individual  and  his  God— iJ^n^x  'n^  nnriDjn.  But 
it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  we  owe  a  duty  to 
posterity,  which  duty  calls  to  us  to  fulfil  the  words 
of  the  Torah: 

That  which  is  done  in  private  may  be  of  private 
concern — a  matter  between  a  man  and  his  God; 
but  parents,  remember  your  responsibility  for 
what  you  do  in  your  homes,  in  the  p>resence  of  your 
children.  You  owe  it  to  your  children  not  to 
rob  them  of  the  heritage  of  their  fathers.  To 
them  you  are  accountable,  and  through  them 
to  the  world,  to  which  they  belong  as  well  as  to 
you.  To  acknowledge  this  duty  only  in  theory, 
and  not  to  fulfil  it  in  practice,  is  a  dangerous 
hypocrisy. 

We  are  living  in  a  free  country  and  can  carry 
out  all  the  precepts  of  our  religion  without  let 
or  hindrance.  Should  we  not  prove  ourselves 
faithful.?  In  the  sacred  scroll,  the  letters  of  the 
words  iJ^jn^l  U^  are  dotted,  as  if  to  emphasize 
them.  (Deut.,  xxix,  28.)  Let  us  emphasize 
them,  too. 

Ever  mindful  of  the  fact  that  "Not  learning 
but  doing  is  the  chief  thing" — not  abstract  theory, 


Speech  and  Silence                 115  i 

nor  abstruse  philosophy,  but  the  vital  deed,  let  \ 

us  strengthen  our  Jewish  religious  life,   to  our  j 
own  weal  and  happiness,  as  well  as  to  that  of  our 

children.     May  this  be  "our  wisdom  in  the  sight  | 
of  the  peoples,"  now  and  for  all  time! 


XV 

TRUTH,  JUSTICE  AND  PEACE 

|^^3]S  the  traveller  who  has  overcome  many 
K^^l  obstacles  during  his  journey  rejoices 
when  he  reaches  a  rocky  eminence,  where 
he  can  rest  from  his  fatigue  and  survey 
the  ground  he  has  traversed,  though  well 
aware  that  he  has  hardly  covered  a  fifth  of  the 
road  to  his  journey's  end,  are  we  to-day.  Many 
are  the  difficulties  of  exposition  which  we  had  to 
conquer  before  completing  the  explanation  of  the 
fifth  part  of  the  subject  in  hand — an  exposition 
of  the  Ethics  of  the  Fathers. 

We  are  glad  that  we  have  reached  a  resting-place 
from  which  we  can  survey  the  path  we  have 
trodden,  and  measure  the  road  that  still  stretches 
before  us.  Involuntarily  our  vision  strays  back- 
ward to  our  starting-point  and  gladly  finds, 
despite  the  many  side- journeys  we  have  made, 
an  intimate  connection  between  our  point  of 
departure  and  our  temporary  resting-place.  This 
connection  we  find  in  the  maxim  of  Simon  the 
Just,  according  to  which,  the  moral  world  rests 

116 


Truthy  Justice  and  Peace  117 

upon  three  pillars:  "The  Torah,  Divine  Worship, 
and  the  Practice  of  Charity,"  considered  in  con- 
junction with  the  maxim  of  Simeon  ben  Gamaliel: 

"By  three  things  is  the  world  preserved:  by 
Truth,  by  Judgment  and  by  Peace.  As  it  is  said: 
*  Judge  ye  the  truth  and  the  judgment  of  peace 
in  your  gates.'"     (Zech.  viii,  16.) 

The  two  sayings  supplement  each  other.  Simon 
the  Just  speaks  of  the  foundations  of  the  moral 
world  in  general  terms;  while  Simeon  ben  Gamaliel 
discusses  the  practical  application  of  these  great 
principles  to  life,  to  the  conduct  of  man  toward 
his  fellow-man. 

The  Torah,  the  first  pillar  on  which  the  world 
rests,  supports  it  only  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that 
it  is  based  on  Truth^^ — ^^^^^  ^^  ^j^^^  Divine 
Worship,  the  second  pillar,  is  only  a  reality — an 
effective  support  of  the  moral  world,  when  we  judge 
ourselves  with  rigorous  exactness ^^ —  IIDDn  lin  f^D 
l^n^ND  DKin  n  n»K:  n^^.  And  the  third  pillar,  the 
Practice  of  Charity,  is  only  a  pillar  of  the  moral 
world,  when  its  ultimate  aim  is  Peace. 

Looking  now  at  these  principles  in  detail,  we 
observe  that  the  ideas  of  Truth,  Justice  and 
Peace  are  intimately  connected  and  supplement 
each  other. 

Foremost  stands  Truth — Society's  strongest 
and    most    indispensable    support.     There    is    a 


118  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

story  told  in  the  Talmud  of  a  city,  named  Kushta. 
It  derived  its  name  from  the  fact  that  none  of  its 
inhabitants  had  ever  told  an  untruth.  No  death 
ever  occurred  in  that  city.  On  one  occasion, 
however,  two  children  died.  Investigation  dis- 
closed that  the  mother  of  the  children  had  told  a 
lie;  whereupon  the  inhabitants  pleaded  with  her 
to  leave  the  city,  lest  punishment  for  her  sin  light 
upon  them.^^  A  pretty  conceit,  in  truth!  Its 
homiletical  application  to  ourselves  is  apparent. 
If  we  observed  rigorously  the  moral  and  religious 
truths,  there  would  be  no  need  to  deplore  moral 
decadence  or  the  dying  out  of  the  Jewish  religious 
life.  Were  Truth  our  guide  in  all  things,  nothing 
could  remove  us  from  our  firm  foundation. 

The  Sages  have  expressed  this  in  a  playful 
explanation  of  the  formation  of  the  letters  that 
compose  the  word  noK,  which  they  contrast, 
in  similar  fashion,  with  its  opposite  IPK^. 

n^jn>  u^o  r\t:i\i^'\  ^«p  n^yiD  Ninx  «np^K^ 

^^Sheker  stands  but  on  one  foot,  while  Emeth 
stands  on  a  broad  foundation  ".^^  The  three 
points  of  the  letter  ^  run  together  and  are  con- 
nected in  top-heavy  fashion,  the  letter  appearing 
to  stand  on  one  foot.  The  letter  P  runs  down, 
with  its  slender  limb  below  its  body,  and  the 
letter  ^  has  only  one  feeble  support.     Not  so  the 


Truthy  Justice  and  Peace  119 

letters  of  nox.  Here  the  letters  are  well  sup- 
ported; they  rest  on  a  firm  foundation.  "Verily," 
say  the  Sages,  ^np  «^  Knp^8y  ^Np  KtDtJ^lp  "Truth 
stands  firmly  and  remains,  forever,  while  False- 
hood Perishes." 

**  Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again, — 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 
But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  with  pain. 
And  dies  among  his  worshippers." 

The  Rabbis  have  another  saying:  '?\i^  lomn 
noK  r\":ix>r\  "God's  seal  is  Truth ".^^  A  seal 
makes  innumerable  impressions  without  varia- 
tion. If  Truth,  then,  is  a  seal,  how  comes  it  that 
to-day  there  are  so  many  contradictory  things, 
each  claiming  to  be  God's  truth?  The  answer  is 
furnished  by  in — "Justice,"  the  complement  of 
noK — "Truth,"  the  second  pillar  on  which  the 
moral  world  rests.  If  Justice  were,  indeed,  our 
guide,  we  would  quickly  arrive  at  an  understand- 
ing concerning  Truth.  But  when,  in  our  religious 
affairs,  the  proposition  is  laid  down  as  a  starting 
point,  that  Moses,  when  he  made  his  laws,  had 
only  his  own  times  in  view  and  that  if  he  had 
lived  in  our  day,  he  would  have  prescribed  entirely 
different  regulations  ^^ — or,  to  use  the  words  of 
the  Talmud: 


120  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

we  must  insist  that  the  premises  are  false  and 
the  conclusion  necessarily  false  also.  If  we  are 
honest  in  our  investigation,  Justice  being  the 
judge,  firmly  maintaining  riQ^niD  nrt<  nnn — that 
the  Torah,  as  God's  teaching,  cannot  be  changed, 
our  conclusions  would  be  different;  and  those  who 
now  preach  error  would  no  longer  be  tolerated. 

Planting  our  feet  firmly,  then,  on  the  principle 
nxi  not^  Ti^^  nx^  no  that  "Whatever  Moses  saw 
under  the  influence  of  divine  inspiration,  is  the 
truth ",^^ — our  feet  thus  standing  on  a  firm 
foundation,  we  may  and  at  times  must  make 
concessions  in  matters  that  do  not  affect  the 
vital  principles  of  Judaism.  Then  we  can  ap- 
proach Peace,  the  third  pillar  on  which  the  moral 
world  rests;  and  as  did  the  Sages  in  olden  times, 
permit  some  things  D1^^  '•Dn  ^JDD  "for  the  sake 
of  peace." 

Here,  if  anywhere,  honesty,  love  of  truth  and 
tact  are  eminently  demanded,  so  that  that  which  is 
permitted  be  not  refused  and  apparent  differences 
be  properly  reconciled.  Discussing  the  verse: 
"Who  is  as  the  wise  man,  and  who  knoweth  the 
interpretation  of  a  thing ".^^  (Eccles.  viii,  1.) — 
setting  everything  in  its  true  light — the  Rabbis 
remark:  ^^  nnB^Q  nwv'?  V^V^  r\"lpry^  ^r)  "Who  but 
God  can  do  this".'^  God  is  called  the  great  peace- 
maker.    "He  maketh  peace  in  His  high  heavens 


Truth,  Justice  and  Peace  121 

and  ordereth  the  way  of  the  stars  in  their  heavenly 
courses."     (Job  xxv,  2.) 

So  must  we,  here  below,  in  our  ordained  spheres 
of  action,  establish  peace,  reconciling  the  ancient 
and  the  modern,  without  violating  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  Judaism.  In  this  spirit  it 
was  said:  inn  n:jD  nit^D  hd  nQ%  "Peaceful  recon- 
ciliation is  better  than  stern  justice."  ^"^  That  is 
why  the  verse  is  quoted  in  our  Mishnah:  "Judge 
ye  the  truth  and  the  judgment  of  peace  in  your 
gates."     (Zech.  viii,  16.) 

But  is  this  possible. '^  If  strict  Justice  is  what 
we  have  in  view,  shall  we  have  Peace .^^  And  if 
Peace  be  our  aim  will  Justice  obtain?  They  can 
and  they  will  be  reconciled,  if  Justice  is  not 
stubborn  and  makes  concessions  to  Peace,  and 
if  Peace  is  something  more  than  mere  thoughtless 
indulgence  and  seeks  a  judicial  basis. ^"^ 

PK  D"l^t5^  t^^SJ'   DIpDni   D1^5i^   PK  tOSti'D   ^'^^   D1PD3   fc^^H 

When,  then,  may  we  permit  modification — modi- 
fication that  is  v^r\  Tr\w^  d^jd^  "within  the 
strict  interpretation  of  the  Law".'*  The  answer 
is  simple  and  unequivocal.  In  the  fundamental 
truths  of  the  Torah  there  can  be  no  modification, 
no  compromise;  but  in  non-essentials,  "interpre- 
tation"   may    be    invoked    and    modification    of 


122  The  Ethics  of  the  Fathers 

established  rules  permitted.  Opinions  alter  and 
manners  change;  we  must  take  account  of  altered 
conditions.^"^ 

nn  3^nD  K^i    .m    .mn  nniti'o  d^jd^  ntt'iy  n"3pn 
•inn  niitj'D  d^jq^  na^iy  n"npn    /Ddk 

Let  me  illustrate  this,  by  the  question  of  the 
Prayer-Book,  that  is  now  raging  in  our  midst. 
The  old  Siddur  no  longer  satisfies.  We  need  a 
new  one,  and  many  are  they  who  are  ready  to 
supply  the  demand.  But  how.^^  One  would 
remove  all  trace  of  Hebrew;  another  would  allow 
some  Hebrew,  endeared  to  memory,  to  remain — a 
inninf*  lat;  still  another,  would  improve  the  good, 
old  Biblical  expressions;  and  so  on,  to  the  end 
of  the  chapter. 

If  we  could  arrange  a  Prayer-Book  in  the 
language  and  on  the  lines  of  the  old,  that  would 
appeal  to  modern  taste,  a  Prayer-Book  that  would 
be  acceptable  to  and  adopted  by  modern  con- 
gregations, we  might  legitimately  make  concessions 
to  the  spirit  of  the  times. 

"Whether  one  prays  much  or  little  matters  not, 
provided  that  a  man  incline  his  heart  to  the 
Father  in  Heaven."  ^^a 

Words,  after  all,  only  express  the  feelings  of  the 


Truth,  Justice  and  Peace  123 

heart;  ^^*  Dnann  in  in  sSn  n:i3  ^nx — and  many  pas- 
sages could  safely  be  omitted  from  the  old  Prayer- 
Book,  because  they  do  not  express  devotional 
feeling.  A  uniform  Prayer-Book  would  at  once 
put  an  end  to  one  great  source  of  strife  and  con- 
tention in  our  midst,  and  be  a  prelude  to  a  lasting 
peace. 

And  Peace  is  so  often  praised  in  the  Prayer- 
Book.  Every  prayer  concludes  with  the  word 
Shalom — "peace."  The  Mishnah  ends  the  same 
way;  and  so  does  our  first  section  of  the 
Ethics.  As  so  will  I  conclude  with  the  words  of 
the  Mishnah: 

"When  God  desired  to  bless  Israel,  he  could 
find  no  more  suitable  instrument  than  Peace. 
As  it  is  said:  *When  God  granted  strength  to 
His  people,  he  blessed  his  people  with  peace.' "  ^'^ 


NOTES 


1.  Abodah  Zarah  17 h— Editor.  1 

2.  Midrash  Rabba  Song  of  Songs,  Chap.  VI,  v.  7. — Editor.  I 

3.  Berachoth  31  a,  and  Baba  Bathra  60  h.— Editor.  ] 

4.  Pesachim  49  b. — Editor. 

5.  Baba  Bathra  60  h.— Editor.  I 

6.  The  Shi^ur  Komah  is  a  Kabbalistic  work,  of  uncertain  date,  i 

which  discusses  the  dimensions  of  the  body  of  God  and  of  its  ] 
several  parts.     See  The  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  s.  v. — Editor. 

7.  Gittin  13  a.— Editor.  \ 

8.  Bezah  2  h.— Editor.  \ 

9.  A  homiletical  interpretation  of  the  word  Shenoth. — Editor. 

10.  Baba  Bathra  131  sl.— Editor.  i 

11.  Sabbath  112  h.— Editor.  I 

12.  Yalkut  Psalms  ^S73.— Editor.  \ 

13.  Tanchuma  Bereshith  I.— Editor.  \ 

14.  Pesikta  Rabbathi  §21,  99  h.— Editor.  | 

15.  Sabbath  119  h.— Editor.  • 

16.  Hagigah  14  h.— Editor.  \ 

17.  Midi-ash  Tanchuma,  beginning  of  «"inn   '3.     See  also  Pesikta 

d'R.  Kahana,  ed.  Buber,  foUo  102  a. — Editor.  ■ 

18.  It  has  been  admirably  suggested  that  by  the  term  OIS,  usually 

translated   "wages"   or   "reward,"   is   meant   the  monthly  -j 
allowance  of  food  which,  in  olden  times,  constituted  the 

recompense  of  the  slave. — Editor.  ; 

19.  Berachoth  5  h.— Editor.  \ 

20.  Berachoth  33  b.— Editor. 

21.  In  ancient  times,  pupils  sat  at  the  feet  of  their  teachers. — Editor.  J 

22.  Jerushalmi  Shekalim,  Chap.  II,  5.— Editor.  ' 

23.  Kiddushin  33  a.— Editor. 

24.  Makkoth  22  h.— Editor.  \ 

25.  Kiddushin  33  a.— Editor.  ] 

26.  Berachoth  33  a;  also  Sanhedrin  92  &.— Editor.  \ 

27.  Yebamoth  109  h.— Editor.  .     ] 

28.  Sabbath  14  a.— Editor.  ^ 

125  i 


126                             Notes  ] 

29.  Aboda  Zarah  54  h.— Editor. 

30.  Kethuboth  105  b. 

31.  Nedarim  37  &.— Editor. 

32.  Baba  Kamma  85  a.— Editor.  j 

33.  Pesachim  52  b.  ■ 

34.  Baba  Bathra  16  h.— Editor. 

35.  Erubin  47  h.— Editor.  J 

36.  Sabbath  127  h.— Editor.  ] 

37.  Megillah  28  a.— Editor. 

38.  Sukkah  56  b.— Editor.  ^       j 

39.  Sanhedrin  111  h.— Editor.  *       \ 

40.  Jerus.  Peah,  I,  I.— Editor.  \ 

41.  Taanith  7  a.  | 

42.  Sanhedrin  107  a.  I 

43.  Yebamoth  79  a.  j 

44.  Kiddushin  40  a.  j 

45.  Berachoth  19  b.  ^ 

46.  Negaim,  Chap.  IX,  3.  ^ 

47.  Yesode  Hattorah,  Chap.  V,  v.  1.  ' 

48.  Berachoth  8a  .—Editor.  i 

49.  Pesachim  113  a. 

50.  Derech  Erez  Zutta,  Chap.  XI.  i 

51.  Yoma9b.  ' 

52.  IMd.  \ 

53.  Pesachim  87  h.— Editor.  j 

54.  Sabbath  119  b.                                                                           -  ' 

55.  Ibid.  I 

56.  Baba  Bathra  60  h.— Editor.  ] 

57.  Yalkut  Isaiah  §445.— Editor.  i 

58.  Jems.  Berachoth,  Chap.  II,  4.     Also  Midrash  Echah  Zutta,  ed. 

Buber,  2nd  Version  at  the  beginning. — Editor.  '■ 

59.  Yalkut  Naso  §711. 

60.  End  of  Makkoth.  | 

61.  Rashi  to  Genesis.  XI,  7.— Editor. 

62.  Jems.  Berachoth,  Chap  IX,  at  end.  I 

63.  Berachoth  64.  j 

64.  Berachoth  43  b.  ' 

65.  Sabbath  133  h.— Editor. 

66.  Berachoth  58  a. 


Notes  ni 


67.  Berachoth  64. 

68.  Enibin  13  b. 

69.  Baba  Kamma  79  b. 

70.  Yalkut  Balak  §771. 

71.  Erubin  18  b. 

72.  Kiddushin  33  a. 

73.  See  Tossafoth  Yomtob. 

74.  Sanhedrin  88  h.— Editor. 

75.  Sotah  22  a. 

76.  Baba  Bathra  98  a. 

77.  Baba  Bathra  111  a. 

78.  Sabbath  63  a. 

79.  Kerithoth6a. 

80.  Berachoth  8  a. 

81.  Sanhedrin  99  b— 100  a. 

82.  Erubin.  13  b. 

83.  lUd. 

84.  Sanhedrin  29  a. 
86.  Yoma  22  b. 

86.  Jems.  Berachoth,  at  end  of  treatise. 

87.  Chullin  89  a. 

88.  Sanhedrin  99  a. 

89.  Yebamoth  65  a. 

90.  Megillah  18  a. 

91.  Kiddushin  40  b. 

92.  Berachoth  5  b. 

93.  Baba  Mezia  58  b. 

94.  Sanhedrin  97  a. 

95.  Sabbath  104  a. 

96.  Sabbath  55  a. 

97.  Baba  Mezia  75  b. 

98.  Sanhedrin  111  a. 

99.  Berachoth  10  a. 

100.  Sanhedrin  5  b. 

101.  Sanhedrin  6  b.— Editor. 

102.  Aboda  Zarah  4  b. 

103.  Berachoth  5  b. 

104.  Megillah  20  a. 

105.  Ukzin,  III,  12. 


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